


Twisted Fairy Tale

by Livitup



Category: Sweet Home (Manhwa), 秘密访客 | Home Sweet Home (2019), 스위트홈 | Sweet Home (TV)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, I apologize korean language, Incredibly self indulgent, Kissing, M/M, Oneshot, Sickfic, just gonna call him hyuk lee cuz spelling is hard, mainly fluff, picturing the netflix version when writing this, who knows - Freeform, why am i writing this, yay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 20:07:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 31,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28909065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Livitup/pseuds/Livitup
Summary: An assortment of one-shots written because I have no life, and I'm self indulging. Hooray.
Relationships: Hyuk Lee/Cha-Hyun Soo, Lee Eun Hyeok/Cha-Hyun Soo, hyuk lee/hyun cha
Comments: 89
Kudos: 290





	1. Last Wishes

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, so I watched/read sweet home, adored it, and here we are. I don't know any more guys, we're just doing this now XD
> 
> So this might or might not align with the plot. I am the god of this fic, what I say goes. Ok, just gonna shut up and write now.

It was getting harder. Of that Hyun-Soo was sure. The whispers were slowly getting louder, honestly, were they even whispers any more? Now they were growing on the verge of screams. If only he'd had more time to look at that blog post. If only he'd had the chance to understand more, to at least know what was going to happen for sure. Did he even want to die any more? Well, the jury was still out on that, but he certainly didn't want to die a monster.  
He'd seen too many of the damn things to want to go out like that.  
Desires seemed to be the key thing with monsterization. They took on the forms of their desires in a twisted, macabre way. What would he look like if he fully turned? What would he look like if he told his desire? That he wanted-  
No, thinking like this was too dangerous. Hyun-Soo had been using his numerous item retrieval missions as a coping strategy honestly. If he was out doing something, he didn't have time to think like this. Wow, getting his ass kicked by monsters was preferable to sitting around and thinking. The world really had ended...  
He automatically looked up at the sound of the door opening. Not a moment too soon. Finally, something to do. Sure, being a glorified errand boy wasn't his favorite thing in the world, but it was something.  
Eun-Hyuk looked at him like he always did. His face was blank, betraying no emotion. In his attempts to stop thinking about himself, Hyun-Soo had wondered what Eun-Hyuk's desires were. There was something behind the cold exterior, of that he was sure. Ever since arriving at the first floor, Hyun-Soo had observed the self elected leader of the survivors. He had seen people like Eun-Hyuk before. Painfully intelligent, confident, persuasive, cold, and sharp. Yes, he knew those kinds of people all too well. If this was a different time, hell even a different world, maybe their relationship would be the second of one Hyun-Cha had already had.  
But would Eun-Hyuk be that openly cruel? At least here, his choices made sense and held value. He wasn't being harsh due to something so trivial, such as the sky being clear. He had taken on the burden of leadership that no one else had claimed. No, he had been incredibly merciful to Hyun-Soo in the grand scheme of things. He most likely had a heart, even if he didn't show it.  
Would they have even met if none of this happened? Their interactions were limited to when Eun-Hyuk needed him for something. Maybe merciful was too strong of a word. What would happen if he no longer had a use...  
"Come on." Eun-Hyuk's voice was surprisingly soft for someone with his personality and position. He didn't need to be loud for people to listen. As much as people might talk behind his back, they did listen to him.  
Yeah, he had mixed feelings about Eun-Hyuk. That was for sure.  
"Here's the list." Eun-Hyuk barely looked at him as he handed over the slip of paper with the list of items Hyun-Soo was to retrieve today. However, their fingers brushed slightly when the paper was passed between them. Eun-Hyuk didn't react in the least. It didn't mean anything to him.  
But to Hyun-Soo, it was strangely significant. It had been so long since any form of human contact. He had tried to ignore how isolated he was feeling. He was such an idiot for pushing people away back when his biggest concern was being human. Now he'd do anything to feel something while fighting to stay human.  
"Any changes?" This was a part of their routine. Eun-Hyuk still didn't make eye contact. He was already walking down the hall, probably ready to be rid of Hyun-Soo until he returned.  
"No." That was a lie, and he was certain Eun-Hyuk knew it too. He didn't say anything, didn't call Hyun-Soo out. Hyun-Soo was confident that he'd only say something if he was certain Hyun-Soo's condition became more of a danger to the others.  
"Good luck." And that was the end of their interactions normally. Neither of them had anything else to say. Well, Eun-Hyuk didn't. Hyun-Soo wouldn't mind talking to him given the chance. Out of all the strangers around him, he was honestly most curious about Eun-Hyuk. Maybe it was because he reminded him of his past, maybe it was because their interactions were so short, so shallow.  
Hyun-Soo readied his spear. It felt so natural to him now, handling a weapon. It felt comfortable in his hand. He gave Eun-Hyuk one last look. To his surprise, the taller male was looking directly at him now. His face still hadn't changed expressions, but Hyun-Soo was almost ashamed to feel himself reveling in the gaze. It was nice to be viewed as something alive.  
"Be careful, ok?"  
"I will." Hyun-Soo managed. He was sure his surprise was written across his face, but there wasn't anything he could do about that. Eun-Hyuk nodded, before leaving for real this time. Hyun-Soo watched him go before turning to the stairwell. He had something to do. 

Strangely enough, Hyun-Soo was having a good day. The adrenaline from traveling around the building was enough to keep his thoughts at bay, and he didn't encounter too many threats, the only one being the monster with no eyes, and at this point, Hyun-Soo could handle him easy enough. It was hard to believe that he had ever cowered in fear from it.  
So much had changed in such a short time.  
He was tired like he always was when he returned to the first floor, but he had to say, he was in slightly better condition than he usually was.  
As usual, he deposited the items with the group before making his way back to his cell. That's what it was, his cell. He was a prisoner in more ways than one. It was alright though, he felt more trapped talking to the group. It was so strange. He had a desire to be close to someone, and yet wanted to avoid social interactions at all costs. Had he always been this contradictory?  
His spear left outside the door, Hyun-Soo made his way back into his cell, ready to collapse onto the small mattress he'd been provided with. However, something, or rather someone, kept him from doing so.  
Eun-Hyuk.  
Hyun-Soo didn't say anything. He was honestly too tired, and he also didn't have anything to say. If Eun-Hyuk wanted something else now, his opinions on him were going to drastically change. Hyun-Soo might have been in a better state, but that didn't mean he was in a state to go on more errands.  
"I'm not heartless you know."  
"What?" Hyun-Soo's body ached, but he remained standing. He didn't want to miss this.  
"I saw the way you looked at me earlier. I don't hate you, and I don't necessarily want you dead."  
This was surprising. So many answers to things Hyun-Soo had been wondering out of the blue like this. Of course, Eun-Hyuk could always be lying, but somehow Hyun-Soo didn't think he was the type to do that.  
"Why are you talking to me?" If he was becoming a monster, surely Hyun-Soo didn't have to worry about conversational manners.  
"Do you think I hate you?" Eun-Hyuk was straight to the point. "I don't hold any feelings towards you."  
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Hyun-Soo felt so heavy. Dizzy even.  
"Maybe." Eun-Hyuk shrugged. "Look. I don't want to treat you like an animal, but it's necessary. It's for our survival."  
"Your survival." Hyun-Soo said, almost bitterly.  
"Our survival." Eun-Hyuk said firmly. "You haven't turned yet, have you."  
"Is this supposed to make me feel better?" Hyun-Soo asked again.  
"I don't think I can make you feel better." Eun-Hyuk said, sighing. He looked tired suddenly. "Just know I don't enjoy or take pleasure in treating you like this." he sighed. "I'll let you sleep now. You look like you need it."  
"If you could make it better, could you?" Hyun-Soo wasn't sure why he asked. The words came rushing out.  
"Yes. I would." Eun-Hyuk held his gaze. "And I'll keep my word. If you think of something I can do for you, within reason, I'll do it."

That...was entirely unexpected. Hyun-Soo felt himself staring, but exhaustion was winning out and he didn't exactly have the energy to care. To complete the surprise of the interaction, the corners of Eun-Hyuk's mouth twitched slightly into a smile.   
"Try to rest now." as quick as it appeared, the change in expression vanished again. "You'll need to get more things tomorrow, so sleep."  
Hyun-Soo didn't need to be told twice for that matter. 

Nightmares greeted him as per usual. He didn't know why he was surprised any more. He was slowly getting used to being chased through his dreams by voices that demanded his desires, only to be cornered by a twisted version of himself. Could he turn while he was sleeping? Would it count if he gave into the pressure in a dream? Was he even safe when sleeping? As much as he hated to admit it, his situation was slowly getting more concerning.   
Well, not that it wasn't concerning already.   
Hyun-Soo also wondered if he was learning what it was like to be in a zoo. Again, he awoke to see the other survivors peering in, as if he was some kind of exotic animal on display. They had been talking, that was what had woken him up in the first place, but the second he moved and opened his eyes, the whispers ceased.   
Hyun-Soo slowly rolled to his side and got to his feet. His injuries had receded to nothing more than a dull ache, and even that was probably more of a mental effect then genuine pain. If only these healing abilities had come out of something more positive.   
The others already had their eyes anywhere other than Hyun-Soo, but as he approached the exit, they all scattered like mice in the presence of a cat. Being at the top of the food chain like this was new as well. Hyun-Soo could remember wanting to be in this position, but now that he was here, he wasn't sure that he liked it.  
He made his way down the hallway alone, focusing on getting food and retreating back to his cell. Some of the others had made a slight effort to include him, but the feelings of awkwardness weren't worth the small social interactions.   
He was being contradictory again. Couldn't he make up his mind already? Did he want to be alone or didn't he?  
Now that he thought about it, he never saw Eun-Hyuk eating with the others either. It had to be his choice. Eun-Hyuk didn't have anything separating him from the others like Hyun-Soo did. The preference to eat alone must be genuine. For a strange moment, Hyun-Soo almost went in search of Eun-Hyuk. His mind caught up with his urge in the nick of time. What would he even say if he found him? Eun-Hyuk had already made it clear that he had no interest in small talk. No, better to leave well enough alone. He had been thinking about Eun-Hyuk a lot lately. Was this some form of distraction? Would figuring out how Eun-Hyuk worked somehow stall the process of turning? No, that was just ridiculous.   
But the distraction was nice.  
Hyun-Soo decided to let himself continue to think about Eun-Hyuk as he retrieved his food and made his way back. There was most certainly something different about him compared to the others. Hyun-Soo had a feeling that Eun-Hyuk personally wasn't afraid of him. He was aware of the dangers, yes, but he wasn't afraid. At least, not afraid for himself. Did he worry about dying?  
Eun-Hyuk never really placed himself in danger the way others did. Adding that to his already cold and controlling personality didn't help his reputation with the others in some ways. Did that make him want to live? Was he keeping himself out of danger out of a selfish desire to protect himself? Somehow that didn't fit Hyun-Soo's mental picture of Eun-Hyuk. So maybe that wasn't his motivation, but Hyun-Soo couldn't see him haphazardly rushing into danger either.   
He glanced over at his shoulder at the security camera mounted in his cell. Was Eun-Hyuk watching now? Alright, this was getting obsessive. It was time to think about something else. Hyun-Soo turned to his breakfast.   
He missed good food. Yeah, he'd think about that for a while. 

Inevitably, Eun-Hyuk came to get him, hand him the list of items, and send him on his way. This interaction didn't stand out, not like the one from last night. Hyun-Soo wondered if he was getting his hopes up. Why did he care so much? Eun-Hyuk was most likely only using him to the group's advantage. He probably didn't give Hyun-Soo a second thought, not like the way Hyun-Soo was thinking about him.   
It had to be his outward persona, that's what made him so interesting to him. That made sense, didn't it-  
Hyun-Soo's thoughts came to a halt at the buzzing of his phone. Well shit. Yesterday had been good, but naturally that luck wouldn't last. Almost naturally he settled into a crouch, waiting. He had a good idea of what monster he'd be facing. Thankfully the steroid one hadn't been seen in days. He still wasn't sure if he could handle that one-  
It was always so fast. Hyun-Soo barely had time to react as the monster slammed into him, the speed sending him flying. He hit the wall with enough force to dent it. It would be so easy to just lay on the floor. Damn, his body hurt now. No one would really care if he didn't come back. Eun-Hyuk wouldn't-  
Why was he still thinking about this? He was trying to survive dammit!   
The running monster didn't seem to have any eyes. Hyun-Soo laid still as it stood over him, waiting for movement or sound to guide it. Well, Hyun-Soo would move alright. It just wouldn't like what he did.   
It had to be a blow to the leg due to his current position. Nevertheless, the monster dropped as electricity coursed through it's warped body. Upon getting to his feet, Hyun-Soo gave it one last electrically powered jab, hoping that would be enough to keep it down for the remainder of his trip. He only had one item left.   
He made it to the apartment a few moments later. He had been close when he'd run into the monster. The list only said "bookshelf on the left, third shelf from the top, five books in from the left corner.   
He entered the apartment and made his way to the bookshelf, following the directions, tracing his fingers over the spines until he found the correct one-  
For fuck's sake. He was now holding a cheesy romance novel. He'd nearly gotten pulverized for this? He could feel his temper flaring slightly. No, he had to calm down. Just make it back. Just go back. 

Eun-Hyuk was waiting for him when he exited the stairwell. Hyun-Soo wondered why he did that. It certainly couldn't be because he was worried about him. No, he probably just wanted to ensure that his little weapon was returned safe and sound.   
Hyun-Soo dropped all of the items but one onto a heap on the floor. He shoved the offending book against Eun-Hyuk's chest, trying to push past him. It was a petty move, but Hyun-Soo figured he had the right to be slightly annoyed over nearly dying over a bad book.   
"What's this?" Eun-Hyuk managed to grab his shoulder before Hyun-Soo managed to pass.   
"I dunno. It was on the list."   
A look of slight confusion crossed over Eun-Hyuk's face. "I'll have to have another talk with the others about what qualifies as essentials."  
"Yeah. You should." Again, it was petty.  
"Sorry for the trouble." Eun-Hyuk released Hyun-Soo, walking away from the stairwell. Hyun-Soo pulled the barricade back in place like he always did, before going in search of dinner.  
Sorry for his troubles? Well...it was something. At this point his temper had calmed. At least Eun-Hyuk had realized the triviality of the book. That much was nice.   
Hyun-Soo almost did a double take when he entered his cell. Laying on the mattress was the book. Did Eun-Hyuk do this? He didn't seem like the type to tease like this.   
Hyun-Soo pushed it to the side, sitting down heavily. He didn't feel like eating. Food had lost it's appeal honestly. Oh well, maybe some light reading would help. Hyun-Soo almost laughed aloud at the thought.

Yeah, the book was shit. The author had put almost all of their minimal effort into the physical scenes. That's really all the book was. A glorified depiction of human contact.   
When was the last time Hyun-Soo had felt that?   
He'd been asked out by girls before his life went to shit. He'd kissed them, hell, he'd even had sex a few times. But it all felt so meaningless now. He wanted contact that mattered. He wanted something, anything that mattered.  
Would he even be himself much longer? He was getting tired of fighting, that was for sure. He wondered if the voices in his head would be kind enough to give him a last request. That would be awfully nice of them before they twisted and warped him into a monster-  
Wait. They might not, but someone else would. 

Was Hyun-Soo really doing this? Everyone else was asleep, or mostly asleep. He was violating rules by leaving at night, but he was a dying man or whatever. Surely this was fine. He'd earned the privilege of having his cell door unlocked. He might lose that after tonight, well, honestly he could stand to lose a lot more after tonight.  
He'd grown surprisingly comfortable in the dark. Was this a part of the monsterization-  
"What are you doing?"  
Hyun-Soo jumped. Ok, maybe not so accustomed. He turned to see Eun-Hyuk, standing a little ways behind him, arms crossed.   
"I couldn't sleep." Ok, lame response.   
"So you wander around?" Eun-Hyuk definitely wasn't pleased.   
"Yeah. No." Hyun-Soo was strongly debating just leaving right now. This took way more confidence than he had...No. He would get at least one desire in one way or another. "Actually...can I talk to you?"  
Eun-Hyuk only nodded, showing an extreme amount of composure for someone being lead back to a monster's lair. Was this what his cell was now? A lair?   
Once they were safely isolated in the cell, Hyun-Soo turned to face Eun-Hyuk. He seemed to have lost the ability to speak...  
"So what did you need?" Eun-Hyuk asked. He didn't look like he'd been sleeping. This was probably an inconvenience to him.   
"I thought of something. That you could do for me." Hyun-Soo said slowly.   
"Alright." Hyun-Soo took that as a sign to keep going.   
"Can you...um...kiss me?" He was glad it was fairly dark. His face felt like it was burning. This was a bad idea, maybe turning would be less awkward than this. Yeah, turning into a monster was far less awkward then asking another guy to kiss you-  
"Alright." That made Hyun-Soo stop short.   
"Wait, seriously?!"  
Eun-Hyuk nodded. "I gave you my word didn't I."   
Hyun-Soo nodded. Ok, this was happening. "Ok, sorry, I just, I don't know."  
"It's ok." Eun-Hyuk's voice was surprisingly gentle. "I don't mind."  
Hyun-Soo nodded again, swallowing before stepping closer. Here went nothing. Should he move closer?-  
Eun-Hyuk answered that question for him, swiftly closing the space between them and gently pressing his lips against Hyun-Soo's. All worries, honestly all thoughts vanished. This felt different then anything he'd experienced before. This felt good, this felt amazing honestly. This is what he needed.   
Without thinking, Hyun-Soo pressed himself against Eun-Hyuk, kissing him again. He was craving the affection. He was touch starved, hungry for it. He was overstepping, of that he was sure, but he just wanted it so badly!  
He felt Eun-Hyuk kiss him back, sliding his arms around his waist. Hyun-Soo knew he must have understood. He must have realized how badly Hyun-Soo needed this. He felt a rush of gratitude, but he would worry about expressing it later.   
What started as a single kiss had evolved into a full make out session. The closeness felt good, he could feel Eun-Hyuk's chest rising and falling. They were pressed up against each other, as close as physically possible. In all honestly, Hyun-Soo felt himself slowly losing himself to the euphoria of being so close to someone, feeling so protected. Eun-Hyuk took the lead for him, kissing him with what felt like the most passion Hyun-Soo had ever felt.   
He wasn't sure how long it went on for. He just knew it ended with his face nuzzled up against Eun-Hyuk's neck, their arms around each other.   
"Sorry." Hyun-Soo said faintly.  
"You don't have to apologize." Eun-Hyuk carefully brought a hand up, petting Hyun-Soo on the head. He almost shivered from the pleasure. "Did this make you feel better?"  
"Yes. Thank you." he couldn't express how he was feeling now. He felt dizzy with the rush. Just being close to someone felt this good.   
"It's no problem." a pause. "Do you want me to stay with you for a while?"  
Hyun-Soo nodded, before responding. "Yeah, I would."   
"Alright. Could we sit down though? My legs are getting tired."  
"Oh! Sorry." Hyun-Soo jerked back, clearing off the mattress. "Sorry, I should have thought of that."  
"You're really ruining the dystopian feeling. Monsters don't apologize." Hyun-Soo stared at Eun-Hyuk as he sat on the mattress.   
"Sorr-uh. Yeah." Hyun-Soo said. In the dim light, he could just make out Eun-Hyuk smiling slightly.   
"Well? Are you coming or not? It's cold here and your body heat keeps me warm too."  
Hyun-Soo found himself cuddled up against Eun-Hyuk, his head resting on his shoulder. This was the first time he felt generally ok since he'd moved in. How strange.  
"Hyun-Soo."  
"Mm?"  
"Did you get this idea from that trashy book?"  
"Uh..." Hyun-Soo felt his face heat up again.   
Eun-Hyuk pulled him closer. "Never mind. You don't have to answer."


	2. Sweet Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap you guys, thank you so much for the likes and kudos. I didn't think this would get a fraction of the attention it's gotten!! It does make me happy to see that there are people out here who like the ship as much as I do XD  
> Anyways, thanks again, here's the second chapter!!

Left corner, middle left, left bottom corner, middle bottom, right bottom corner, middle right, right corner, middle top, middle. That was the pattern that Eun-Hyuk had been following with his eyes for several hours now. Honestly, it could have been several weeks for all he knew. For what felt like the hundredth time, his vision blurred slightly, causing him to drop his gaze for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose.  
He couldn't close his eyes though, even blinking for too long might end with him on the floor. That's why he'd been remaining in a somewhat standing position, leaning against a table, arms crossed.  
And for the last few hours, nails digging into his arms to keep himself awake.  
The others were all sleeping. They were wrapped up in their makeshift cots in the communal sleeping area. He assumed they felt safer sleeping together, well honestly, that was probably the likeliest possibility. The thoughts caused Eun-Hyuk to sigh heavily. He'd been called intelligent so many times, and yet sometimes the most basic human concepts remained out of grasp for him.  
He'd initially gotten rid of the others claiming that someone had to stay on watch, and almost everyone had been happy to let the responsibility fall on him. There were some who volunteered to take watch shifts, stating that Eun-Hyuk didn't have to do it alone. He said that he'd wake them. Of course, he had no intention of doing that. The others all went off to sleep, thinking that he'd uphold what he said. He wouldn't. The only one who knew, Eun-Yu, just rolled her eyes at him as she passed. Of course she did. He'd come to expect that kind of treatment from her.  
There just wasn't any time to sleep. There was too much to do, and Eun-Hyuk would be damned if he resorted to sleeping around everyone else. That made him sound conceited, but it didn't matter. That kind of thing just didn't work for him.  
Sometimes there were monsters to watch on the cams. That always made things slightly more interesting. However, tonight there were no monsters in sight. And honestly, that was a shame. If he wasn't so tired, Eun-Hyuk would have laughed. The irony in wishing for monsters to make an appearance solely for entertainment.  
His legs and lower back were stiff. He should have shifted positions by now, but that required slightly more energy than he currently had. He knew it was his own fault he was in this state. He could have made the choice to sleep, but didn't. Any move he made had direct correlations, all of which were his fault. He knew it was an unusual thing to learn from a young age, but it served him well. That had made it easier to take the lead. And yet it had also made it harder.  
God, why had he taken the lead? It was an action he'd question for the rest of his life, however short or long said life might be. What had possessed him to place himself in this position? He'd barely been keeping Eun-Yu in line, and now he had an apartment building full of people depending on him. He never imagined being in charge of this many people in his life, much less talking to them. Eun-Hyuk was a loner, plain and simple. He was out of his comfort zone, that was for sure. Again, it was ironic that the humans scared him more than the monsters.  
He got a sudden urge to check on Eun-Yu. It only lasted for a second before he was able to rationalize. Eun-Yu was perfectly fine. She was surrounded by people that at the least she could use as a shield should something happen. Eun-Yu and himself were very different people, but they both had strong self preservation skills at their disposal, should the need come.  
Even if he did check on her, she wouldn't care. She hadn't cared in a long time. She didn't care that Eun-Hyuk stayed with her, watched over her, provided for her, honestly probably kept her alive. She was a master at putting on a sweet smile, batting her eyelashes and charming the crowd. But Eun-Hyuk knew better. He saw the cigarettes, the disdainful stares, and then she'd made her feelings vocal. She hated him, plain and simple.  
Things were easier when they were plain and simple.  
He didn't blame her honestly. It made sense. Sure, she could be one hell of a bitch, but at least she acted human. Eun-Hyuk didn't. From a young age he was happier staying inside and reading than going out and playing with younger children. His only childhood friend had been the school librarian, and even then the word friend was a bit of a stretch. He wondered where she was now. Dead? Alive? Turned? What did librarians even desire? Silence? Oh well, it didn't matter. She was most likely dead.  
It had been fine then. Because Eun-Hyuk was smart, he had been gifted. Something to be placed on a pedestal and bragged about. Gushed over, admired. Patted on the head and compared to his peers, always looking better. And then people realized that Eun-Hyuk didn't function normally. No, he didn't function right at all.  
Expressing emotions were both a challenge and a chore. Speaking to large groups of people exhausted him. Making friends was a near impossibility. He was cold, precise, and generally unfriendly. Eun-Yu had a word for what he was. An asshole.  
For what it mattered, he wasn't trying to be an asshole. People just didn't like the way he spoke or said things, or the way he chose to do them. Eun-Hyuk rationalized this by calling himself a realist. Eun-Yu called him sad.  
Nighttime was a great time for thinking, not. Wow, he couldn't even get sarcasm right half the time.  
Time for a distraction. Eun-Hyuk turned back to the camera feed. Still no monsters. Still no entertainment. Still one, cynical, asshole outcast alone in a room with his thoughts.  
No, wait. There was one monster on the cams. 

"You need to stop sneaking around at night." Eun-Hyuk was mildly satisfied by the fact that he was able to scare the monster. Hyun-Soo visably jumped before turning around.  
"Sorry, I have a harder time sleeping. You know, when I'm not bleeding out."  
Was that a joke? Eun-Hyuk wasn't sure. He'd never been good with jokes. While people around him were cracking up over an apparently brilliant and hilarious joke, Eun-Hyuk stood there, face unchanging, trying to decipher why exactly it was funny.  
"Are you ok?" Hyun-Soo was peering at him curiously. He must have stayed thinking a moment too long.  
"I'm fine. Just tired." Understatement, but that was alright. Eun-Hyuk doubted he had the words to express the full extent of his exhaustion.  
"Did I wake you up or something?" Hyun-Soo actually seemed concerned by this.  
"No. I was already awake." It was too dark out in the hallway. Eun-Hyuk needed to go back to where there were lights. He was getting too sleepy.  
"Do you ever sleep?" Hyun-Soo seemed to be in a conversational mood. It was a fair question, Eun-Hyuk supposed.  
"I do. Just not at night. At least, not recently."  
"That's...kinda weird."  
Eun-Hyuk bristled. What would it take for him to get some fucking respect. Eun-Yu refused to respect him. The others were the same. He may be their leader but they didn't respect him in the least. The same apparently went for Hyun-Soo. It was thanks to Eun-Hyuk that he was here in the first place.  
"Said the person in the stages of turning. I don't think you're in a position to tell me what's weird." Ok, that had come out a bit snappish. And if it seemed a bit snappish to Eun-Hyuk, it must have sounded downright aggressive to a normal person such as Hyun-Soo.  
"Sorry." Hyun-Soo said quickly. "Sorry, I'll go now."  
"Wait." Eun-Hyuk sighed. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. Like I said, I'm tired, but that doesn't give me a reason to snap at you. I'm sorry."  
"Wow. You must really be tired." Hyun-Soo commented.  
"If you can't sleep, you might as well come keep watch with me." Maybe conversation would help keep him awake. It was worth a try. 

Returning to the brightly lit room hurt Eun-Hyuk's eyes. But it was better this way. Harder to fall asleep.  
"Holy shit." Hyun-Soo said. Eun-Hyuk turned to see him staring, concern in his eyes.  
"What?"  
"You look awful."  
Another pang of annoyance arose. "Excuse me?" Normally Eun-Hyuk wouldn't respond, but his sleep deprived brain was past the point of reason.  
"No, I mean you look like you really need sleep. Do you want to go sleep with the others?" It was probably a genuine offer. But there was no way Eun-Hyuk was taking it.  
"No." With that, he settled back into his previous position, wincing slightly at his stiff legs.  
"Eun-Hyuk." Hyun-Soo's voice was softer now. "When was the last time you slept?"  
Eun-Hyuk saw no harm in answering. "About two days ago."  
"Seriously! Go sleep!"  
"No." Eun-Hyuk said again.  
"Why not?"  
"I wouldn't be able to sleep there anyways." Eun-Hyuk said, starting to regret his choice to bring Hyun-Soo with him. He normally wasn't this irritable. But for fuck's sake, he was not in the mood for this.  
"Why not?" More incessant questions.  
"I don't sleep well around other people."  
"Why?" Again with the questions!  
"I don't know!" Eun-Hyuk exclaimed, exasperated.  
"Is it the sounds of other people breathing or something?"  
"No! I don't know. It's knowing that they're there. Watching me."  
"So you have a fear of people watching you while you sleep?"  
"NO! No..." he had to think about that for a minute. "Maybe. I don't know. I don't like the thought of being unconscious and defenseless in a room full of strangers."  
"So you don't like being vulnerable."  
Yes, that was it. Hyun-Soo had gotten it exactly right. "Yes. I guess so."  
Hyun-Soo nodded. "Yeah. I get that." He nodded again. "Keeping yourself awake like this just makes you more vulnerable."  
"I didn't ask you." He was internally wincing. He really didn't mean to sound that harsh.  
"Can I ask why?"  
"Why what?"  
"Why you're so afraid of being vulnerable?" It was a surprisingly sincere question. Something Eun-Hyuk had not been prepared for in the least.  
"I'm not sure." he said, exhaling heavily. "The only one I can depend on is myself." He had not envisioned sharing feelings tonight, or ever honestly. Much less to Hyun-Soo.  
Hyun-Soo leaned against the table next to him. "I understand. Except the only one I have to blame is myself."  
Here they were, standing together in a bright room, both awake. Were they really so different? Regardless of their pasts and presents, they did have strange similarities. This brought a question to the surface. Who was the human and who was the monster?  
"I understand too." Eun-Hyuk wasn't sure what else to say. His thoughts had slowed to a crawl.  
Hyun-Soo reached over and waved a hand in front of Eun-Hyuk's face. The latter barely reacted. "Wow, you're really tired aren't you."  
"Talking about it doesn't make it better." Eun-Hyuk allowed himself a brief moment to pinch the bridge of his nose again.  
"You're safe with me you know." The words almost startled Eun-Hyuk fully awake.  
"What?" he turned to face Hyun-Soo.  
"I know it's ironic, since I'm turning and all, but if you want to try and sleep, you're safe here."  
"What are you trying to say?" Curse his lack of brain functions at the moment.  
"I don't know." Hyun-Soo said, sighing as well. "I used to be good at comforting people." He lapsed into silence for a moment. Eun-Hyuk found his eyes return to the cameras, but it wasn't long before Hyun-Soo spoke again.  
"Can I...try something with you?"  
There was probably a way to make a joke somewhere in there, but Eun-Hyuk was unable to make any connections. "That depends. What is it?"  
"I can't really explain it without it sounding weird."  
Well, it already sounded weird at that point.  
"Just...come here, will you?"  
Maybe it was solely due to his exhaustion, but Eun-Hyuk let Hyun-Soo lead him to the mattress set up on the floor of the room. Eun-Hyuk had debated sleeping there, but that would leave no one on watch. His responsibilities had become his trap.  
"Here." Hyun-Soo guided him into a laying position on the mattress. Eun-Hyuk's body had become so weak at that point, that he was practically leaning against Hyun-Soo. The mattress was rather firm in reality, but at this stage, it felt like the most comfortable thing in the world.  
"Stop, you're going to make me fall asleep." Eun-Hyuk said, struggling and failing to get up.  
"That's the point." Hyun-Soo said. "Even if you don't completely trust me, you're too tired to fight me for long.  
Well, he certainly had a point.  
"Here." Eun-Hyuk felt Hyun-Soo lay down beside him, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him close, so Eun-Hyuk's head was resting against Hyun-Soo's chest.  
"What are you doing?"  
"Well, sometimes when I used to take girls out on dates, we'd lay like this, and they'd usually fall asleep."  
"What?"  
"Yeah, I told you it was weird...but are you comfortable?"  
To Eun-Hyuk's surprise, he was. "Yes."  
"Good." Hyun-Soo said. "Just try to relax." Another pause. "I won't forget what you did for me?"  
"Hm?"  
"The kisses." Hyun-Soo said. "I, um. It really helped me."  
Eun-Hyuk nodded. "I'm glad."  
"So let me help you too, at least for a little. I don't really need to sleep at night any more. I can keep watch, and also stay with you so you don't have to go out with everyone else. If that's ok."  
And Eun-Hyuk really does appreciate it. He's certainly been thinking about the kisses. He doesn't feel exactly close with Hyun-Soo...but definitely closer than with any of the others. And as tired as he is, that's enough.  
"Yeah. It's ok." Eun-Hyuk finally lets his body relax. He's grateful for the warmth of Hyun-Soo's body next to him, and his arms surrounding him. He feels surprisingly safe.  
To his surprise, he feels Hyun-Soo slide his glasses off his face. It's a surprisingly intimate touch. But even more surprisingly, Eun-Hyuk doesn't mind at all.  
Something in him does keep him from finally drifting into sleep. The one, manic, almost compulsive part of himself longing to do everything himself. Of course there would be at least one thing to keep him awake-  
Hyun-Soo's hand glides over his head, stroking his hair, repeating the motion, lulling him into a rythmn. And finally, Eun-Hyuk's eyes drift closed, leading him into a blissful sleep.

Eun-Hyuk didn't exactly dream, he more so remembered. He found himself walking through a blur of what life was like before the eventual monsterization. Med school, parents, sister, lack of a social life. Monetary problems, so many bills to pay, not being able to leave. No, he couldn't go to his dream school, despite earning a scholarship. He needed to stay here, for Eun-Yu. Put his life on hold for those around him, always so dependent with no respect in return.   
Moving hardly impacted him. He was fine studying at the nearby community college. It worked out better that way. Eun-Yu could still follow her passions, and it was cheaper. Eun-Yu at the least had whined about being farther away from friends, or whatever boy she was interested in that week.  
Eun-Hyuk didn't have anyone to miss. He hadn't made friends in years.   
His memories seemed to speed forward again, to life right before the incident. Eun-Yu sneaking around with packs of cigarettes badly concealed in her hands, the store owner calling him "another youthful asshole" when Eun-Hyuk looked his way for just a moment too long. The Christian man, always smiling and greeting him when they saw each other, despite not even knowing the other's names. Late nights spent debating murder as the pulses of an electric bass kept him from studying, much less sleep.   
He only saw Hyun-Soo once before everything happened.   
He'd been watching Eun-Yu from afar that day, making sure she didn't dance right off the roof or something. She said he was too controlling, and maybe she was right. Eun-Hyuk liked having plans, leaving nothing to chance. A freak accident involving his sister and a roof would not be according to plan. He at least had to keep her alive until adulthood. He'd used to think about that statement jokingly. He didn't any more.   
There was someone else too close to the edge that day. A boy Eun-Hyuk had never seen before. Eun-Hyuk had been burned out from a so called group project that day. He didn't exactly play well with others, and had his general patience and focus spent. Honestly, he halfheartedly assumed the boy was enjoying the view. That was stupid. How many times had he himself stood there, wondering what would happen if he just took one step. Eun-Hyuk wouldn't consider himself suicidal. He didn't want to die. It was more of a morbid curiosity. Would his family care? Or just lament that there was no one to look after Eun-Yu, and that proper burials were expensive.   
Eun-Yu realized first, spoke to the boy first. She stopped him first. Eun-Hyuk wondered if she hadn't done that, would he have? He wanted to think that he would, but he wasn't sure. He was no hero. He didn't even know Hyun-Soo. And he wouldn't meet him until he was in the process of becoming a monster. How was that for irony?  
But Hyun-Soo had been willing to do things for him. For the group, for their survival. As much as he wanted to, Eun-Hyuk couldn't make him do anything. Hyun-Soo chose to listen to him.   
And then came the night of the kissing request, and then this night, and Eun-Hyuk wasn't sure where things stood any more. Being this physically close to someone was a first. Hell, kissing was almost a first. He'd learned to do it like anyone else, but it had never meant anything to him. He'd toyed with the idea that he was incapable of having feelings for someone. Well, he supposed that he'd really only looked at girls.   
Eun-Yu had questioned him once. It had been a complete coincidence. The neighbor's mail had been dropped off at their apartment instead, and Eun-Hyuk had picked up a magazine, examining it closely, trying to see who it belonged to. He had been looking for an address, not gazing at the shirtless male model on the cover. He did understand how it looked when Eun-Yu walked in. He'd been trying to get her out of bed for an hour, and of course, this was when she finally made an appearance.   
"Are you into that?" She asked, eyebrow raised.   
"What? No." He'd thrown the thing down rather forcefully, which didn't help his situation. Eun-Yu had given him a "really?" look before leaving. Without her bag. And then Eun-Hyuk had to chase her down with it. Thus was life. 

Hyun-Soo didn't wake Eun-Hyuk up when sunlight became visible. He intended to let him sleep for as long as possible. At some point, the door was opened by Jayhun, looking concerned. Hyun-Soo hadn't considered that people would panic if Eun-Hyuk wasn't there to direct their every move. But the sword wielding Christian merely smiled and nodded, quietly closing the door. The soft sounds caused Eun-Hyuk to stir slightly, nuzzling into Hyun-Soo's chest.   
Hyun-Soo felt his heart melt a little, not that he'd ever admit it.   
Of course, all good things come to an end, and a few hours later, the door burst open, slamming against the door, revealing a triumphant looking Eun-Yu. Eun-Hyuk jerked awake, looking panicked.   
"Who died?"  
"No one." Eun-Yu said. "I didn't realize this room was occupied. Sorry, I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing." she smiled sweetly.   
"I wasn't doing anything." Eun-Hyuk said, realizing the futility.   
"Magazine." Eun-Yu said, turning on her heel and leaving.   
"What?" Hyun-Soo asked.   
"Nothing." Eun-Hyuk said, making a mental note to lock her in with a monster. And then he realized how close he was to Hyun-Soo. He pulled away, muttering apologies.   
"It's fine. I offered, remember?"  
Eun-Hyuk nodded, finding it slightly easier to keep his eyes on Hyun-Soo without his glasses. It wasn't really eye contact that way.   
The end of the world was a shit time to gain a crush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you go!! Omg I got more comments in the span of me writing this. I'm so glad you guys like it. I totally agree, this ship needs more content. I didn't think the fanbase for sweet home as a whole was very big, much less people who liked this ship. Well, I have been happily proven wrong XD
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter!! Thank you so much for reading, and have a nice day ^^


	3. Cold Front

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaagh you guys!! You're all so amazing, thank you so much for all the support!! I'm having a lot of fun writing this, and I'm glad you're all enjoying reading it. Thank you so much again, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter!!

A small group of survivors was clustered around the breaker. Eun-Hyuk looked about ready to kill someone. If Hyun-Soo had to guess, he'd say the stress of keeping everyone alive was finally getting to him.  
"Jisu did a thing." Eun-Yu said, quickly stepping away. Jisu made an indignant noise, rushing after her.  
Eun-Hyuk bent down, examining the blinking light on the precious energy breaker. Hyun-Soo had a feeling that this wouldn't be good. Nothing was good in this post apocalyptic world. Well...there were some things.  
Hyun-Soo stepped closer to Eun-Hyuk, peering over his shoulder. He found himself taking in the other's slender form, eyes traveling down his body...  
"Hyun-Soo."  
"Mm?"  
"Are you staring at my ass?"  
"No!" Hyun-Soo jerked back. Eun-Hyuk had said it loud enough for only Hyun-Soo to hear. That much he appreciated at the least. But damn, maybe Eun-Hyuk had already gone through the monsterization process, resulting in eyes on the back of his head.  
"That's interesting." Eun-Hyuk mused. "It's not an electrical error. I think it's a backup generator."  
"Does this mean we can have air conditioning?" someone asked.  
"No." Eun-Hyuk said harshly. "Besides, it's already connected to something. It's actively powering something else.  
"I think I know what it is." a woman stepped forward. Hyun-Soo recognized her as the store owner's wife. "I saw my husband take some of our nonperishable stock somewhere, along with some wiring. I think he might have set up some kind of storeroom off the grid, to avoid electrical bills."  
"More food!" Someone yelled. People began murmuring.  
"Everyone calm down. We don't even know if it's food yet." Eun-Hyuk said. "Where is it located?"  
"I'm not sure. At least a few floors up." the manager's wife said.  
"There's a lot of monster activity. Maybe we should leave it alone." Jisu said, crossing her arms. "Like you said, we don't know if it's food for sure. It would be stupid to risk someone for food that might not even exist."  
"But if it does, that's an opportunity we can't pass up. Our food won't last forever. Especially if some people keep taking extra." Eun-Hyuk countered.  
"Before we do anything, we should at least consider the risks. Maybe we send a small team up?" Jayhun suggested.  
"Hyun-Soo can do it alone." Eun-Hyuk said. "There's no risk that way."  
"Why are you always such an asshole." Eun-Yu said. "There's a risk if Hyun-Soo dies."  
"He can't die though." Someone in the crowd said.  
"But he can still get hurt. That's an unfair treatment." Jayhun said, voice calm as usual.  
"I don't suppose any of you would like to go." Eun-Hyuk said, crossing his arms. To his surprise, several people shifted forward. And to his distaste, they were the ones known for stealing extra food.  
"I'm ok with going." Hyun-Soo said, causing the group to look at him. "I'd rather risk myself than anyone else."  
"Asshole." Eun-Yu hissed again, before stalking off. The group murmured with distaste, before dispatching as well. Eun-Hyuk lingered a moment longer, before retreating to his usual place in the back room, arms tightly crossed. Someone grabbed his shoulder before he could get too far, and to Hyun-Soo's surprise, he was the one who'd reached out to Eun-Hyuk.  
"What do you need now?" Eun-Hyuk said. He sounded tired.  
"I think you made the right call." Hyun-Soo said. "You're right, I can withstand a lot more, it makes the most sense for me to go."  
"Yes. It does. But does that make it right?" Eun-Hyuk said, turning to face Hyun-Soo.  
"...Are you asking me to answer?"  
"If you want. I sure as hell don't know the answer." Eun-Hyuk said bitterly. "It doesn't matter. You're not going."  
"Why not?!"  
"Because I am."

Hyun-Soo spent the next two hours arguing with Eun-Hyuk. "You can't be serious about doing this!"  
"That's the fourteenth time you've said that, and my answer's the same. I can, and I will."  
"What if you get hurt? What if you die?" Hyun-Soo challenged.  
"Then I die. I'll die contributing like everyone else." Eun-Hyuk said, carefully stringing a crossbow.  
"Wow." Hyun-Soo said, stopping. "You're fucking petty."  
That got Eun-Hyuk's attention. "Excuse me?"  
"I said you're petty. You're the smartest person here and you're keeping us alive, but you're willing to do something this stupid to prove a point?"  
"I'm not proving anything!" Eun-Hyuk snapped. "I can take care of myself, and I'd prefer my death and Eun-Yu's survival over the opposite."  
"She wouldn't want you to die."  
"Who said anything about dying! You're acting like that's my goal. It's not, I'd like to stay alive thank you. And she'd be fine. She would finally be free from my incessant nagging."  
"See, that's just petty. She only called you an asshole."  
"She didn't just call me an asshole Hyun-Soo." Eun-Hyuk sighed, looking irritated and exasperated. "Don't pretend like you know me, or anything about me."  
Ok. That stung. "Ok, sorry." Why did he feel like a wounded puppy? He thought he had more of a spine than that.  
"Wait. I'm sorry. You're kind of right." Eun-Hyuk sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry."  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Hyun-Soo didn't ask if he was ok. He clearly wasn't.  
"I need to get out of here. At least for a little bit. If I have to keep listening to everyone whining about who touched who's mattress and who drank slightly more water, and how I need to gain some morals, I'm going to go insane. I need to clear my head, and at the moment, I prefer the monsters out there over the monsters in here."  
"Ok." Hyun-Soo said. "But at least let me go with you."  
"Are you going to stop annoying me if I say yes?"  
"Yeah."  
"Why do you even want to go. You don't eat much any more."  
"I want to protect you." Hyun-Soo said. It was an honest answer. "I worry about you."  
Eun-Hyuk's cheeks took on a slightly pinker tinge. "Don't. I'm fine. Now come on. I want to get this over with before it gets dark. Food or not, maybe we can redirect the power to something more useful."

Hyun-Soo felt more focused than ever before wandering the halls of the apartment building. Not knowing where the storage unit was exactly, the pair was slowly sweeping each floor. Hyun-Soo had a purpose now. He had someone to protect. He was focused, he was focused-  
There was a slight creak and Hyun-Soo nearly jumped out of his skin. Ok, he was jumpy too.  
"Relax already. The only thing you're scaring is yourself. And point that somewhere else before you take my eye out." Eun-Hyuk was strangely relaxed. He didn't show any outward signs of nervousness, however he was gripping his own weapon tightly.  
"The stairwell door opens here." Hyun-Soo said, pointing towards the door. "Come on." He carefully opened the door and gently closed it after both he and Eun-Hyuk had slipped inside.  
"I think I saw something that could be it on the seventh floor." Hyun-Soo said. "This is the only straight way to the seventh floor that's not blocked. I think if we just take the stairs up, we can make it there safely." Hyun-Soo turned and started making his way up the stairs, only to be stopped by a muffled whacking noise and Eun-Hyuk cursing.  
"Are you ok?" Hyun-Soo asked.  
"Ow, no, not really. God dammit." Hyun-Soo could see Eun-Hyuk wincing in pain, having apparently driven his leg into the wall. And the Hyun-Soo realized.  
"It's too dark for you to see."  
"Yeah, obviously." Eun-Hyuk said. "Wait...can you see?"  
"Yeah, I can see fine. I...didn't notice before." Hyun-Soo shivered slightly.  
Eun-Hyuk nodded like that was normal. Hyun-Soo appreciated the attempts for normalcy. "Alright, we can use that. I can't see anything. I don't even know where you are."  
"Ok, um, sorry, I didn't think about that." Hyun-Soo said. "We can go back out and try a different way up."  
"No, this is faster-JESUS." Eun-Hyuk jerked back as Hyun-Soo grasped his shoulder.  
"Woah, hey, it's just me."  
"Could you give me a warning next time?" Hyun-Soo could see the facade was starting to crack. He could see Eun-Hyuk breathing rapidly, looking pale.  
"I mean, who else would it be." Hyun-Soo said awkwardly.  
"I don't know. You could be the monsterfied president for all I know." Eun-Hyuk paused. "We are alone in here, aren't we?" there was no mistaking the nerves in his voice this time.  
"Yeah, it's just us." Hyun-Soo said. "Um, here. Don't freak out, it's still me." He gently took Eun-Hyuk's hand, guiding him away from the wall. He could feel the other trembling slightly. "It's ok, I got you."  
"Can I lean against you? I walk into enough things in the daylight already."  
"Yeah. Here, I'll guide you." As they walked, Hyun-Soo realized that the calm facade must have been purely for his benefit. By remaining calm, Eun-Hyuk had been trying to keep him more calm. However, Hyun-Soo could almost hear the pace of his heartbeat. Eun-Hyuk was as scared as any of the other survivors, but he was willing to hide his own emotions for the others' sake.  
"I got you." Hyun-Soo said, half expecting Eun-Hyuk to brush off his attempt to comfort him. However, he only nodded, squeezing Hyun-Soo's hand tighter. Finally they made it to the seventh floor. "Cover your eyes, I don't want the light to hurt." Eun-Hyuk obliged, and Hyun-Soo opened the door, letting a rush of light envelop them. He guided Eun-Hyuk out, closing the door behind them.  
"Do you remember where it was on this floor?" Eun-Hyuk said, eyes still watering despite the time to adjust.  
"Yeah...the other side." Hyun-Soo said. "Sorry."  
"Don't be. It's not like you designed the layout." he adjusted his glasses, composing himself. It must have been windy outside, as a scratching noise caused Hyun-Soo to startle again. "Relax. That's outside, not inside."  
"Right, sorry."  
"You apologize too much." Eun-Hyuk surprised Hyun-Soo yet again, squeezing his hand. "Come on, we're in my territory now. You guide me in the dark, I'll guide you in the light. Symbiotic relationship."

"Stop." Hyun-Soo threw his arm out in front of Eun-Hyuk. "Did you hear that?" A blockade in the middle of the seventh floor had caused the pair to double back, travel up to the eight floor, cross the building there, then come back down. They were about halfway across when Hyun-Soo heard the rumbling.  
"What?" Eun-Hyuk said. "I don't hear anythi-" despite the fact that he was speaking in a hushed tone, Hyun-Soo still slapped a hand over his mouth.  
"Something's coming." He pulled Eun-Hyuk behind a corner seconds before a tremendous crash.  
"Bench...press." Hyun-Soo instinctively froze at the guttural, familiar words.  
"Steroid monster." he hissed faintly to Eun-Hyuk. The other nodded, appearing calm, but Hyun-Soo could feel him tense.  
The mass of muscle stomped across the hallway, mumbling to itself. Every so often its fist would swing into something, creating a layer of debris. It must have caused the cave in on the other floor.  
"Pro...tien." the monster rumbled. It was moving past them now. Hyun-Soo felt Eun-Hyuk's grip on his hand tighten as the monster passed right by their corner. Slowly it passed, disappearing behind another corner.  
"That's the steroid monster?" Eun-Hyuk hissed, breathing rapidly.  
"Yeah." Hyun-Soo said. "You've never seen it before. It's ok, I think it's gone. Breathe."  
"I'm fine." Eun-Hyuk said. "Let's keep going."  
"Ok." Hyun-Soo said. "But if it comes back, run."  
"What?"  
"I'll buy you time, hopefully enough for you to find the storeroom and make it back."  
"The way back is blocked, besides, I couldn't make it in the dark."  
"Try." Hyun-Soo said. "They need you more than me."  
"Then let's hope it doesn't come back. Because I won't leave you."  
Hyun-Soo's eyes widened. "You've left others. You didn't let that girl in-"  
"I don't want to talk about that." Eun-Hyuk said sharply. "It's a matter of survival. Our chances increase tenfold with you. I'm not letting a resource to to waste."  
"Ok." Hyun-Soo said. "Let's hope it doesn't come back."

Of course it came back. Not even a few moments after they'd started moving, the monster charged, roaring about protein and bulking up. Hyun-Soo had barely noticed that the roles had reversed. Eun-Hyuk was following his instructions, running when he was told to. It was strange.  
The monster didn't give Hyun-Soo any more time to think. It swung at them, and Hyun-Soo narrowly yanked the both of them out of the way. Thankfully Eun-Hyuk's hand was still in his.  
Both crashed to the ground, Hyun-Soo quickly jumping to his feet and pulling Eun-Hyuk to his. The monster had wedged its fist in a near by wall, giving the pair a chance to get ahead.  
"Look!" Hyun-Soo said. At the end of the hallway, where an apartment should be, was a heavy metallic looking door. "That's it! I think that's it!"  
"Are you sure? We're still on the eighth floor. The stairwell is right there."  
"Trust me, I think that's it." Hyun-Soo said. Eun-Hyuk only nodded, dashing past the stairwell with him.  
"God I hope you're right. Otherwise we're going to be stuck in a dead end." Eun-Hyuk said. The monster was gaining speed. Hyun-Soo raced over, yanking open the heavy door. "In here."  
"Are you insane?" Eun-Hyuk asked, stopping. Hyun-Soo stared at him like he was the crazy one.  
"Would you rather get crushed?" It must have been a good point, because Eun-Hyuk darted inside, Hyun-Soo behind him. Hyun-Soo slammed the door seconds before the monster reached them-  
BOOM  
The interior of the room rattled. It was dimly lit by several swinging bulbs, which now shook. The room rattled again, with what must have been the force of the monster slamming its fists against the door. Hyun-Soo pushed Eun-Hyuk behind him as the banging increased, growing louder, firmer until...  
Nothing. Hyun-Soo could faintly hear the monster's footsteps dragging away. He stood still for a moment, waiting, before starting to relax. "I think it's gone."  
"Good." Eun-Hyuk said breathlessly. "I think that took years off my life."  
Hyun-Soo looked around the room. "Shit. This isn't it." Eun-Hyuk looked around too, sighing.  
"Guess not. Well, you did save our lives, so it's fine. If you're sure it's gone, lets keep going."  
Hyun-Soo nodded, pushing on the door. It didn't budge. He pushed even harder. Nothing. "Uh oh."  
"What?"  
"I think it sealed us in." Hyun-Soo said. "The banging jammed the door."  
"Fantastic." Eun-Hyuk muttered. "Ok, maybe the metal with decompress. We might just have to wait a bit."  
Hyun-Soo really did admire his ability to stay so calm in the face of danger. "Yeah. It'll give us a chance to rest too." He looked down, seeing he was still holding Eun-Hyuk's hand. "Sorry."  
"You don't need to apologize." Eun-Hyuk squeezed his hand one last time before releasing it. "You really don't."

It had been about two hours now. Hyun-Soo had tried the door a few times, and while it had budged a little, they were still nowhere close to getting out. Eun-Hyuk was pacing back and forth, and had been for the past hour. "Anything yet?"  
"No." Hyun-Soo said. "Well, only a little. It's still stuck."  
Eun-Hyuk sighed. "Ok. Don't strain yourself trying to push it. Give it some time then try again."  
Hyun-Soo nodded, feeling slightly useless. "Is your leg ok?"  
"It's fine." Eun-Hyuk said. "It's the least of my concerns."  
Having nothing else to do, Hyun-Soo went over to check anyways. He reached for Eun-Hyuk's hand again, almost dropping it in surprise. "Holy shit, you're freezing."  
"You're not?" Eun-Hyuk asked. He was shivering, face pale. "When we get back, you're not allowed to tell anyone we got trapped in a freezer unit."  
"This is a..." Hyun-Soo trailed off. He didn't feel any cold at all. He could comfortably sit in here for dozens of hours.  
But Eun-Hyuk couldn't.  
"Shit. Shit. Oh my god. I didn't realize." Hyun-Soo said.  
"You're really changing aren't you." Eun-Hyuk said. "Maybe not much on the outside, but..."  
"I'll get us out of here." Hyun-Soo said, turning his attention back to the door.  
"I told you not to strain yourself." Eun-Hyuk said after him. He still had the strength to be controlling. That was a good sign. 

It didn't last. Two more hours passed. They had been in the freezer unit for four hours. The door had budged a little more, but still not enough to open.  
"Dammit!" Hyun-Soo yelled, slamming his fists against the door. Of course, the impact did nothing. The door was almost spiting him now.  
"Hyun-S-Soo."  
Hyun-Soo turned. Eun-Hyuk was shaking violently, arms wrapped around himself. "Oh my god..."  
"I c-can't feel my legs." Hyun-Soo made it to him only a second before his knees buckled. Hyun-Soo managed to grab him, supporting Eun-Hyuk. His skin was like ice.  
"You're freezing." Hyun-Soo said.  
"I've n-noticed." Eun-Hyuk said in response.  
Hyun-Soo carefully set him down against a wall, hoping it wasn't too cold. He quickly pulled off his own hoodie. "Here, put this on."  
"I'm f-f-fine." Eun-Hyuk said, fumbling as he pulled it on. Hyun-Soo took Eun-Hyuk's hands in his, trying to warm them. "H-how are you so warm." Eun-Hyuk asked. "Or m-maybe I'm just c-c-cold." He pulled his hand away for a moment, gathering frost with his finger tips, and placing it on Hyun-Soo's arm. It melted almost instantly. "N-no. You're hot."  
Hyun-Soo felt heat rising into his cheeks, despite the circumstances. However, this gave him a new idea. He pulled Eun-Hyuk against him, trying to extend as much warmth as possible. Eun-Hyuk was still shivering violently, and Hyun-Soo tried to pull him closer.  
"T-tell Eun-Y-yu she's not allowed t-t-to laugh and my funeral. Even if I d-do die in a freezer."  
"You're not dying." Hyun-Soo said, panic rising in his chest.  
"Wh-which one of us went to med school? H-hypothermia. I kn-know the symptoms. I think my body's starting t-t-to shut down."  
"You're not dying!" Hyun-Soo said more firmly.  
"People d-die."  
"Well, most people don't have me. You're not allowed to die." Hyun-Soo said fiercely.  
Eun-Hyuk laughed shakily. "A-and people say I'm bossy." 

Another hour passed. Eun-Hyuk had stopped shivering, laying his head against Hyun-Soo's chest, eyelids fluttering. Hyun-Soo knew that this wasn't a good sign.  
"T-try the door again." Eun-Hyuk said faintly.  
"No, I'm not letting go of you."  
"H-Hyun-S-Soo. I'm n-not going to make it much longer. I've only l-lasted this long b-because of you. Now don't b-be stupid and worry about y-yourself already. I'd li-like to die knowing that you're going t-to live."  
"This is my fault." Hyun-Soo said. "God, I'm sorry." he felt tears pricking his eyes.  
"N-not your f-fault. Don't m-make my dying wish be about you n-not apologizing as m-m-much." a pause. "T-tell Eun-Y-Yu I love her." his eyes closed.  
"No! Stay awake dammit! You're the one in med school! You should no better then to go to sleep!" He was going to pay for this later. Hopefully. Hyun-Soo muttered an apology before slapping Eun-Hyuk hard across the face. He gasped sharply, jerking his head back.  
"You'd h-hit a dying man?"  
"You can get me back later, because we're both getting out of here." Hyun-Soo said, pulling Eun-Hyuk to his feet. He was still completely supporting him. "Come on."  
"Hyun-S-Soo, I literally c-can't move. S-So unless you're w-willing to carry me-" Hyun-Soo picked him up bridal style.  
"Like this?" He didn't let Eun-Hyuk respond. Instead, he kicked at the door with all his might. The metal creaked, a surprisingly welcome sound. "I think it's giving! I swear if you die on me now."  
"F-fine." Eun-Hyuk muttered.

Hyun-Soo repeated the action, forcing his weight upon at long last, the metal finally gave with a screech. Hyun-Soo didn't care about the noise. He had more pressing issues right now. He shoved the door open with his shoulder, praying that there wasn't anything hungry outside the door.   
"I found them!" Hyun-Soo looked down the hall to see Jisu and several others hurrying towards them.   
"What are you doing here?" Hyun-Soo asked.   
"If I disappeared for a few hours, would you come looking?" Jisu challenged, raising an eyebrow. "Well, he wouldn't-Jeez what the hell happened!"   
"Freezer." Eun-Hyuk mumbled. "Long story."

Hyun-Soo didn't seen Eun-Hyuk again for another hour. He, Jisu and half of the group had proceeded to the actual storeroom while the other half brought Eun-Hyuk back to the base. To Hyun-Soo's relief, there was a large amount of food that they were able to get back to their base. However, he didn't have any interest in listening to the others celebrate their fortune. Instead, Hyun-Soo went back to the camera room.   
Eun-Hyuk was still standing up, studying the cameras, wrapped in what appeared to be almost all of the blankets they had. He did look slightly better, despite still shivering.   
"Hey." Hyun-Soo said, making his way into the room. "You recovered fast."  
"Yuri Park." Eun-Hyuk said, turning to face Hyun-Soo. "You're back."  
"Yeah." Hyun-Soo shifted his weight. "Um, sorry for almost killing you in a freezer."  
"It's fine." Eun-Hyuk said, rolling his eyes. "I shouldn't have left in the first place. I was a liability to you."  
"It wasn't all bad." Hyun-Soo shrugged.   
Eun-Hyuk raised an eyebrow. "You're a strange one, Hyun-Soo."  
"Do you want to die?" Hyun-Soo asked, before he could stop himself.   
"No." Eun-Hyuk said. "No, not really. If I have to, I will, but I'd like to live."   
"Then why were you so willing to give up?"  
"My body was actively slowly freezing. I don't think I was exactly in the best state of mind." Eun-Hyuk said. "Why are you asking?"  
"Because you scared me." Hyun-Soo said. "We need you. I need you."  
"Yeah, you do. None of you would last a day without me." Eun-Hyuk said, offering him a half smile. "Don't forget that."  
Hyun-Soo nodded, both relieved and disappointed Eun-Hyuk hadn't acknowledged the more personal implications of the statement. "How are you feeling?"  
"Cold." Eun-Hyuk said. "The chills will probably last a while."  
Hyun-Soo stepped closer to Eun-Hyuk, pulling him close and wrapping his arms around him.   
"Is this your apology for nearly killing me?"  
"Mhm." Hyun-Soo said, rubbing the other's shoulders.   
Eun-Hyuk didn't respond, resting against Hyun-Soo. Somehow his hand found Hyun-Soo's and again, he gently squeezed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok! There you guys go!! The more I write, the more in love I fall with this ship. (Did I draw fanart? Mmmmmmaybe)  
> Anyways, thanks for reading, and I hope you guys enjoyed! Hopefully I'll be back before long!!


	4. Sticks and Stones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW for mentions of s*cide, s*lf h*rm, and e*ting d*sorders. Stay safe friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I'm back with another chapter!! Guys, the support for this fic has been astronomical, I seriously appreciate it so much, you don't even know.  
> Anyways, not gonna waste time with me sitting here trying to figure out how to phrase a decent thank you. Enjoy the new chapter XD (hopefully I'll have a good thank you figured out by the end notes XD)

Eun-Hyuk missed personal space. In this new apocalyptic world, he couldn't go three minutes without someone asking him something, complaining about something, needing to do something, or something else along those lines. He couldn't just go off and disappear either. That would most likely cause mass panic, and that in itself was a tragedy.  
The camera room was as much of a sanctuary as anything, but the problem was that people knew exactly where he was, and they were all too comfortable bursting in without a moment's notice. For a change of scenery, Eun-Hyuk was occupying a blissfully empty hallway. He was close enough to hear the bickering of others, but far enough away to relax slightly.  
Or not.  
He could hear footsteps coming down the hallway. Great, someone needed something else now. Because apparently no one else had the basic brain cells to do the smallest of tasks on their own. He'd become more bitter lately. Honestly, Eun-Hyuk had never been one to make an effort to appear outwardly cheerful if he didn't feel like it, but the feelings of caginess were new. His head was throbbing dully, and he had zero patience left for the day after a strange incident involving a raccoon in a toilet.  
But of course, if someone needed him to do something, he'd do it.  
Eun-Hyuk stayed quiet, mildly hoping whoever it was would walk right by him, giving him at least another minute of semi-solitude, but no such luck. And of course, it had to be the worse possible person for him to encounter one on one.  
"Hey." Hyun-Soo said. His hair was damp, indicating he'd just come from the shower. The tone in his voice indicated that to him, running into Eun-Hyuk was a pleasant surprise.  
It wasn't that Eun-Hyuk disliked Hyun-Soo. It was the unfortunate opposite that was creating problems for him. If anything, he was starting to get too attached to Hyun-Soo. He'd broken one of his personal rules. Don't get close to anyone unless you have to. Kissing him had been a mistake. That was where it had started. It was his own fault for letting his guard down-  
"You ok?" Hyun-Soo asked. Eun-Hyuk wondered why he always asked if he was ok. Did he not look ok? Yeah, his head was throbbing like a bitch, but he was fairly sure he looked generally ok.  
"Yes, just a headache. I needed to get away from things." Eun-Hyuk said, indicating the others down the hall.  
Hyun-Soo nodded, coming to a stop, standing next to him. Why was he staying?! He could go anywhere else right now. Standing this close to Hyun-Soo in the dark was not a good idea, that much was clear.  
Panic had never treated Eun-Hyuk kindly. Honestly, it made him more blunt than he already was. He blamed that for what happened next. As his eyes darted around, determined to land on anything other than Hyun-Soo, he saw the pale skin of the other's wrist, sleeves still rolled up. "What are those?"  
Hyun-Soo quickly jerked his sleeve down, indicating that Eun-Hyuk had clearly stepped past a line. He wanted to apologize, but the words wouldn't come. To his surprise, Hyun-Soo answered. "If I told you I was planning to kill myself before this all happened, would you believe me?"  
Eun-Hyuk thought back to a time that felt like centuries ago, catching sight of a strange boy he'd never seen before, standing at the edge of a roof. "Yes."  
Hyun-Soo nodded. "Ok...I don't know if that's good or bad...Anyways, I tried before. That's where these came from."  
"Why?" This was not socially appropriate, but Eun-Hyuk had never been able to keep himself within those boundaries often.  
"Because it became clear that the world didn't want me."  
"The world didn't want you? Or you didn't want the world?"  
"I don't know, a little of both maybe?" Hyun-Soo shifted his weight, before continuing. Oh no, he actually felt comfortable talking about this. Why?! Why the hell was he opening up like this! This was only going to make things harder! "Sometimes I feel like it was pure chance. I made once small choice, and that choice changed everything."  
"I don't believe in chance." Eun-Hyuk said, crossing his arms. "It doesn't matter if it's a higher power, or the laws of the universe. Things happen for a reason."  
"That almost makes it worse then." Hyun-Soo said quietly. "Because I still don't know what I did to deserve it. I know I did something, but I don't know what it is."  
"Maybe you didn't do anything." Eun-Hyuk said. "Has it ever occurred to you that things aren't always your fault?"  
"How does someone decide to make someone else's life hell because the sky is clear?" Hyun-Soo said bitterly. "How does someone devote their time to making someone else wish they were never born because of something so small? Everyone turned on me. Friends, family, everyone. I was alone, and hurting-" Hyun-Soo's voice broke. "Just because the sky was clear."  
Eun-Hyuk saw him bring a sleeve to his face, wiping his eyes. Christ, he was not prepared for an emotional situation. It usually took him fifteen minutes to psyche himself up before even attempting to help Eun-Yu with anything, but he wasn't going to sit here and do nothing.  
"It's ok." He was mildly surprised to see that the gentle caring tone that he so rarely used happened so seamlessly with Hyun-Soo. Eun-Hyuk pushed away his earlier concerns. As always, he would sacrifice his own worries for someone else, but this time he didn't mind.  
"It might have been easier for everyone if I just did it already. Either back then, or when I first moved here."  
"Don't ever say that." Eun-Hyuk said sharply. "If you died, those kids would have too. Honestly, we all might be dead by now. It's more than your abilities, it's your value as a person. You're a good person." Eun-Hyuk stumbled over the words. He wasn't good at this. His best judgements about character were usually his harsher ones.  
"That...seriously means a lot coming from you." Hyun-Soo said, wiping his eyes again.  
"What? Why?"  
"Well, you're you. You're selfless, smart, strong. You keep us going. You're inspiring, you're just...you. No one would ever torment you over the sky being clear."  
"Hyun-Soo, I'm a freak. I always have been. I promise you I had my share of tormentors throughout school. I don't think I ever developed social skills, at least not correctly. I don't enjoy being around people, I was always more interested in studying than socializing. I don't respond right in situations. You've heard the others talking about me here haven't you? There's something wrong with me." What was he doing? Nope, too personal. He hadn't felt inclined to talk about this...well, ever. He was even being selfish now, talking over Hyun-Soo. "My point is, don't hold me to such high standards. Next to me, you're the admirable one."  
"Eun-Hyuk..." Hyun-Soo was staring at him, god why did he feel so weak when he did that? Eun-Hyuk was grateful for the dim lighting, he'd never been able to conceal blushing.  
"I can't imagine what you went through. I've never been suicidal, and I've never experienced direct targeting like that, but I think I can relate to you to a degree at least. And you did nothing to deserve it."  
At first Eun-Hyuk was terrified he'd said something wrong. Hyun-Soo's eyes filled again, and he found himself quickly reviewing everything he'd said, trying to figure out if he'd said something cruel-  
He felt Hyun-Soo's arms around him, and before it, he was crying into his chest. Eun-Hyuk stood awkwardly, for a moment, before hugging back.  
"Thank you, I needed to hear that." Hyun-Soo's voice was slightly muffled. He looked at Eun-Hyuk. "I'm sorry, I dunno, I'm like, weirdly emotional right now. A single tear slowly moved down his cheek, a sight that almost made Eun-Hyuk's heart melt. He was so...vulnerable.  
Carefully, Eun-Hyuk brought a hand up, brushing away the tear. "I'm glad you can talk to me about it. If you want to keep going, I'll listen."  
"No, it's ok, I don't want to bother you-"  
"You're not bothering me." It was a surprisingly true statement. "I want to help." Eun-Hyuk had ceased offering help like this years ago. Everyone from his parents to his sister made it clear that nothing he could do was good enough, but here, in a dark hallway, with a monster, he was willing to try again.  
"Ok." Hyun-Soo said. "I warned you though. Uh, we might want to sit down. It's kind of a long story..."

Hyun-Soo was right, it was a long story. One of clear skies, sticks, brutal beatings, dark roads, a fatal shove, lost jobs, isolation, death, and eventually, apocalypse. In some ways Hyun-Soo was a shell. A hollow vessel that used to host a full person, full of humanity and happiness. Now here he was, empty, vacant, clawing to cling to something he thought he'd lost a long time ago.  
"You weren't surprised when I mentioned thinking about killing myself when I first moved here." Hyun-Soo said. "And you're too detail oriented to have missed that. You already knew, didn't you?"  
Eun-Hyuk nodded.  
Hyun-Soo nodded back. "Did Eun-Yu tell you?"  
"No. I saw for myself." Eun-Hyuk said. "I've told her a million times not to practice on the damn roof. There's construction, and sharp things, not to mention she's at the top of a massive building overlooking a road-"  
Hyun-Soo chuckled. "You're a good brother."  
"You're probably the only person in the world who thinks that. Eun-Yu was pretty much done with me the day she met me." Eun-Hyuk said, shaking his head. "I don't blame her. I'm not the kind of person people bond with, or come to for comfort or care. I try my best...I don't know." Eun-Hyuk sighed. "Sorry, I don't know why I keep talking about myself."  
"It's ok." Hyun-Soo said. "I like hearing about you. Can you...tell me more?"  
"I don't know what to tell you." Eun-Hyuk said. "I was the prodigal son, the one who was "destined for greatness", well, at least until I was replaced." Sarcasm usually isn't his thing, but he can feel it creeping into his voice. "It didn't matter if Eun-Yu was adopted, the same rules still applied, we still knew that we were expected to be successful. So studying for me, dancing for her."  
"Did you want to? Was it your choice?"  
"Yes and no." Eun-Hyuk said. "You're the first person to ask me that honestly. Yes, I did genuinely want to be a doctor. Medical science genuinely interested me. But the pacing and standards I was held to...Those weren't enjoyable." He felt Hyun-Soo squeeze his shoulder. "Our parents took on the belief that the more we succeeded, the better it would reflect on them. So they kept pushing and pushing until I lived in this little bubble of existing to constantly improve, no matter what."  
"That's brutal." Hyun-Soo said. "You made it through though."  
"Barely. I had a nervous breakdown when I was fifteen. Some days I don't think I've recovered." What was he saying? He hadn't talked about this to anyone. "I pulled myself together though. I took care of Eun-Yu, prioritized her over me. I tried to do everything I could for her. I didn't do it right though. I'm not sure. Some days I'm angry at her, and some days I'm angry at me." He could feel Hyun-Soo's eyes on him. "Like I said, I wasn't suicidal. But I guess I did get close to death a few times. I developed an eating disorder when I was sixteen. I know, it's ironic. My sister's the dancer and I'm the one who ends up like that. It wasn't about my weight or anything. There was just so much to do. Too much. I didn't have time for it all, taking care of Eun-Yu, studying, trying to figure out how the hell mortgage worked. I started skipping meals, eating less. It gave me more time to do other things. I kept going until I'd done it for so long that eating felt unnatural. So I just didn't."  
"Why are you talking about it like it's your fault?"  
"Because it is. I did it to myself. I knew exactly what was happening to me, I knew I was pushing myself to the limits. Every day I would tell myself, just a little more, just a little longer, until one day I collapsed like I knew I would, and the medical bills just made things worse. I knew what I did, it was a conscious choice. And Eun-Yu had to pay for it. Even less money to spread out."  
"So if that's your logic, me trying to kill myself is my fault. I chose to do it." Hyun-Soo said.  
"What? No, that's not what I meant. You were pushed to the edge. You weren't in the right headset."  
"Neither were you." Hyun-Soo said. "So if you're going to hold me to that, you have to hold yourself to that too."  
Eun-Hyuk felt himself at a loss. It was rare that someone tried to combat his logic.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to start a whole tragic backstory thing." Hyun-Soo said." The two were sitting on the floor, backs pressed against the wall, shoulders touching.  
"It's fine. You needed to get it off your chest. And I guess I did too."  
"I'm glad I met you." Hyun-Soo said.  
"You shouldn't be. I'm sorry."  
"What for?"  
"If Eun-Yu didn't stop you that day, I wouldn't have either. I don't think I would have."  
"I don't hold that against you." Hyun-Soo said. "You're showing that you care now, and that's more than anyone's done for a long time."  
"You deserve so much more than you've gotten out of life." Eun-Hyuk said.  
"You do too." Hyun-Soo said. "Jeez, we've been out here for over an hour."  
"I know. It's a miracle no one's died."  
Hyun-Soo laughed again. "Yeah. I'm glad I got to talk to you like this though." Eun-Hyuk felt Hyun-Soo lay his hand over his. "I like spending time with you."  
He was actively trying to be close to Eun-Hyuk! Eun-Hyuk had no idea how to respond. He was a planner, he thought everything out one hundred percent, every step of the way. This wasn't planned, this wasn't planned at all-  
"Are you ok? You just tensed up." Hyun-Soo said.  
"What! Oh, like I said, just a headache."  
Hyun-Soo gently pushed Eun-Hyuk's head onto his shoulder. "Here, is that more comfortable."  
It was, but that was another issue. Had the kissing opened some kind of doorway for advances? Eun-Hyuk had always been shit at romance. A classmate had been lusting after him for four years, and he hadn't noticed until Eun-Yu pointed it out. Eun-Hyuk didn't want these advances...but he did. He really really did, and that was the most terrifying part about the whole thing. He yearned to lean into Hyun-Soo, just let down his walls and let the world around him fade away.  
But he couldn't. He just couldn't. He glanced up at Hyun-Soo. He was smiling almost fondly at Eun-Hyuk. He couldn't...but he wanted to so badly.  
Eun-Hyuk slid his hand down, grasping Hyun-Soo's wrist, gently rubbing his thumb over the scars. "Promise me you'll keep living."  
"What?"  
"Promise me."  
"I promise." Hyun-Soo said softly. "I don't think I want to die any more."  
"Good. Because if you die, I'll kill you myself."  
Hyun-Soo laughed. "Noted."  
"Good." Eun-Hyuk nodded. "Is it ok if I touch you there?" Well, that certainly came out wrong. He'd been referring to Hyun-Soo's wrists, but by god, that had come out wrong. His face was burning now.  
"Yeah." Hyun-Soo said. "It feels kinda nice. Which is weird, I know, but it feels good."  
"Good."  
They sat in silence for a few moments longer. Then came a loud crash, some swearing, and some yelling. Eun-Hyuk groaned. "God dammit, what did they break now."  
Hyun-Soo gently rubbed his head. "I don't know. Want me to handle it? I don't want your head to get worse."  
"Yes. Please." Eun-Hyuk said, closing his eyes and tilting his head back. He'd kill for some Tylenol.  
"Ok." Hyun-Soo said, carefully standing up. "I'll handle it."  
Eun-Hyuk really didn't want him to go. That was terrifying. 

"You're into Hyun-Soo."  
Eun-Hyuk nearly dropped the tape he was holding. "What?"  
"You're into him." Eun-Yu said, smiling smugly. "You want him bad."  
Eun-Hyuk had dragged his sister with him that morning to do damage control on the barricades. Anything to keep her from burning something down with a cigarette. He was now regretting this decision.  
"I see the way you look at him. Like he's a cute puppy that you just want to snuggle and protect, but you also want him to snuggle and protect you. You just want him to touch, slide his hands down and-"  
Eun-Hyuk took that opportunity to throw a (harmless) piece of debris at her. He had thought of a wonderful place for the tape. Over Eun-Yu's mouth.  
"You don't know what you're talking about."  
"Uh, yeah I do. I know you. And I've never seen you get that flustered around anyone." Eun-Yu said silkily.

"It's none of your business." Crap, that hadn't been a smart move. He'd basically admitted it, and she'd snap that cue up in seconds.   
"Oh suuuuuuure. It's not like you were on my case every single time I even looked at a boy."Eun-Yu said, looking at her nails. The fact that she wasn't helping in the least surprisingly took a back seat during this specific conversation.   
"Is it a physical thing? Do you wanna screw him in the back room or something?"  
"Eun-Yu!" Eun-Hyuk snapped coldly.   
"Ohhhh." Eun-Yu said. "It's more than that. You're getting romantically attached aren't you." It was a statement, not a question.   
"There's no attachment involved whatsoever." Eun-Hyuk said firmly.   
"Why not?"  
He looked up at his sister. "What?"  
"Why not? Party at the end of the world or whatever. Even you should take a chance before we all end up dead." Eun-Yu shrugged. "Either you make a move, or I will first."  
"Huh?"  
"I don't think I've ever heard you ask so many questions in one conversation." Eun-Yu laughed. "Hyun-Soo's cute, and I wouldn't mind claiming him for myself."  
"This isn't a game!" This was the strangest thing he'd ever argued with his sister over.   
"Well then, I guess you'd better get on it." Eun-Yu said, turning and sauntering back off into the depths of the apartment.   
Eun-Hyuk wasn't about to call her back even if he didn't want to handle the barricade alone. Was she serious? Like she said, it was the end of the world, and even now she insisted on annoying the hell out of him.   
Why was he even annoyed? No, it didn't matter. If she won Hyun-Soo over, it would be easier, far easier. It was easily the most logical solution, Eun-Hyuk was certain of that. It was the most logical...But yet when he pictured Hyun-Soo with Eun-Yu, he felt his insides twist. This was ridiculous. He was on the cusp of fighting with his sister of all people over a potential partner. Why was he even thinking of potential partners? This was completely and utterly ridiculous!   
No, he wasn't going to do anything vaguely related to Hyun-Soo. His priority was survival. Nothing more, nothing less. He had the group to worry about. No, he wasn't going to let whatever the hell was going on with his emotions impact his decisions.   
This was dangerous. He'd jeopardized his position. It wouldn't happen again. It couldn't happen again. He'd have to be careful from now on. His own desires clearly couldn't be trusted. He could still talk to Hyun-Soo from a strictly professional standpoint...right?...Maybe not...  
This had to have been the stupidest thing he'd done in a long, long time. Of course, in a time where literal lives were on the line, that was where he finally broke. He'd have to start avoiding Hyun-Soo. The thought of it pained him, but it was a necessary sacrifice. In this new world he was destined to be torn apart one way or another. Be it by monsters, those depending on him, or himself, he was going to arrive at the end of this a shattered mess, if he even arrived at all.   
No one got happy endings in this twisted fairy tale. He only hoped Hyun-Soo wouldn't take it personally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG U GUYS!!!! In the time I wrote this, we officially got to over 100 kudos. Holy shit, that's so amazing. Thank you so so so much. I'm so happy you're enjoying it. Anyways, there's chapter 4!! I hope you enjoyed reading, and pls like and subscribe and hit that notification bell for more content (Jk, what am I doing XD)  
> Thank you so much for all of the comments. I try to write for myself, but it makes me very happy to know that my work can bring some enjoyment to others as well. So thank you from the bottom of my heart. The support means the world to me. (See, told you I'd figure out a good thank you!)
> 
> Anyways, that's all from me for now. Hopefully I'll see you guys soon in the next chapter. Thank you again for reading, and I hope everyone seeing this has a lovely day!


	5. Fever Spell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends!! Sorry for the late-ish update. I have a lot of valentines day art commissions to finish up, but yay chapter time!! Thank you so much for the continued support. Seriously you guys are insane XD We're almost at 150 kudos and over a thousand views. Thank you so much XD
> 
> Anyways, that's all I have to say. I hope you enjoy!!

Eun-Hyuk was avoiding him. Hyun-Soo was certain of that much at least. At first he thought it was his imagination, but there was no mistaking that the way Eun-Hyuk left the room or distanced himself was intentional.  
Honestly, he didn't understand. He thought things were going well. Incredibly well. Hyun-Soo kept finding himself thinking back to the first initial kiss. He hadn't expected it to go any further...but it had. And he wanted it to.  
He'd never been especially confident flirting, even when he was liked at school. He'd tried subtly offering it out there, and he thought that Eun-Hyuk was accepting, that they were connecting.  
Maybe he was wrong.  
Eun-Hyuk may have been avoiding him, but Eun-Yu had been impossible to get rid of. She would turn up out of no where, making snide comments or random small talk for reasons Hyun-Soo didn't understand. Was she a friend? Well, she'd told him that he had small dick energy, so maybe friend was a stretch.  
Hyun-Soo had plenty of time to sit alone with his thoughts. An unforeseen cold snap had moved over the area, and Hyun-Soo was the only one able to withstand the newly low temperatures. He'd been tasked with finding blankets, coats, anything to be used as warmth, as well as sealing the cold air out.  
One building was a hell of a lot for one person to cover, but he doubted anyone cared.  
He would have brought it up to Eun-Hyuk, but cornering him was next to impossible. He seemed to be carefully calculating his every move, ensuring that he and Hyun-Soo were never alone together, banking on the fact that Hyun-Soo was too shy to bring anything up in public.  
He'd been right about that.  
Even thinking about the more intimate moments could bring a rush of color to Hyun-Soo's cheeks. It wasn't even anything sexual, nothing more than cuddling, kissing and hand holding...but still, it made him feel incredibly warm inside.  
He thought he and Eun-Hyuk had some kind of understanding, a bond or a connection. Had Hyun-Soo done something wrong? Had Eun-Hyuk finally seen whatever it was that made people hate him? Had he decided that Hyun-Soo wasn't worth the effort? Did Hyun-Soo repulse him? There was too much to think about, too much to feel.  
"Do you even get cold any more?" Eun-Yu stood behind him, arms crossed, watching as he tried his best to use a sheet to seal up a doorway.  
"I guess not." Hyun-Soo said, fumbling with duct tape, his new best friend.  
"That must be useful." Eun-Yu said, stepping closer. "Did you ever think it was cool? Like, getting super powers?"  
"They're not super powers." Hyun-Soo said bitterly. "If anything I don't get cold because I'm already close to death. Corpses are cold."  
"That's depressing." Eun-Yu rolled her eyes, stepping around him, eyeing him like a cat eyes a bird. "You were spending a lot of time with my brother."  
"I was." Hyun-Soo wished she'd go away. People made him uncomfortable, even at a time like this. Well, all but one person...  
"What changed? Did you dump him? I get why. He's kind of bossy."  
"What? We were never together." Hyun-Soo said, turning to face her. "It was nothing like that."  
"Suuuure." Eun-Yu said. "So who broke it off? Him or you?"  
"We never got together." Hyun-Soo repeated. "But him I think. I'm not sure..."  
"Ugh. Typical. He's such an asshole." Eun-Yu said, kicking at the ground. "Bastard."  
"No, I don't think he is. He's probably busy."  
"Oh my god." Eun-Yu said. "You like him. You're defending him even if he kicked you to the curb."  
"I don't li-"  
"You liiiiiike him." Eun-Yu said in a singsong voice. "God knows why. He's boring, and neurotic, and cold, and bossy, and like I said, an asshole."  
"Is this why you're following me around?" Hyun-Soo asked. "To tease me about this?"  
"Sort of. I guess I just like hanging around freaks." she let the word hang in the air before continuing. "You know, I wondered if he was gay. Or heartless. Either works."  
"What?" Why was she still talking!  
"He's had girlfriends before, but I don't think he was ever actually into any of them. For the record, I seriously don't get why anyone would be interested in him, including you."  
"I don't know. He's..." Hyun-Soo caught himself. "I'm not into him!"  
"God just give it up already. He likes you too." Eun-Yu said, rolling her eyes. She was moving back and forth on her toes, smaller but similar movements to the ones Hyun-Soo had seen when he first saw her.  
"If he did, it would be liked in past tense." Hyun-Soo said.  
"He's scared dumbass."  
"What? Of me?" He hadn't thought Eun-Hyuk was at all. He'd been fine before.  
"Not scared in a scary monster way, scared because he has feelings for you." Eun-Yu said, balancing on her uninjured leg.  
"What?"  
"Is the monsterization affecting your brain cells? You're probably the first person he gives a damn about in years, and that freaks him out. You undid his whole "happier alone" thing. Good job by the way."  
"He cares about you." Hyun-Soo said.  
"He cares about keeping me alive. Those are two very different things." she paused for a moment. "Do you want to sleep with him?"  
"WHAT?"  
"I could make a diversion so you two could slip away..."  
"Can you please leave me alone!" Hyun-Soo said, turning away and blushing furiously.  
"You'd have to pay me."  
"Pay you what?"  
"I don't know. Cigarettes or diamonds. Preferably both."  
"It's the end of the world. Where the hell am I going to get diamonds?"  
Eun-Yu smiled. "You'll figure it out. You're full of surprises. I'd find them before things get worse. They always do."

Eun-Yu's prediction turned out to be right, not that there was any doubt about that. A flu like illness had swept through the survivors, what had started as one of the kids sounding stuffed up had turned into fevers, and in the close confines of the apartment building, it was easily spread.  
Hyun-Soo had determined that he wasn't affected. He'd been in contact with the sick more than anyone else, and he felt fine. Well, as fine as he could while actively transforming into a monster. With over half of the group sick and quarantined off, Hyun-Soo found himself taking a more hands on roll with the others.  
It was interesting how the moment they needed something, they were fine with having Hyun-Soo around.  
"You don't get sick either? You can't tell me it's not a super power." Eun-Yu said hoarsely as he passed by where she was laying.  
"I caught something worse."  
"You're always so depressing. He's so depressing." Eun-Yu said, turning to Jisu, who groaned and rolled over.  
"And you don't shut up." He and Eun-Yu weren't exactly friends, but they were closer than acquaintances. They were at least at the point where it was acceptable for Hyun-Soo to insult her back.  
"Tell me about it." Jisu said, yanking a blanket over her head.  
"Bitch." Eun-Yu sighed, flopping back down on her pillow. Hyun-Soo took that as a sign that the conversation was over. He'd already checked on everyone, the few who were healthy and all of the sick.  
Well, almost everyone.  
It was probably the best chance he was going to get to catch Eun-Hyuk alone. He must have been letting his guard down, because Hyun-Soo had a feeling that he knew exactly where he'd be. And he turned out to be right.  
Eun-Hyuk was where he usually was in the back room, cameras flickering and radios blinking. Constantly watching for threats, constantly making plans to protect those around him. The room was slightly messier then the last time Hyun-Soo was in there. Papers were scattered across surfaces, notes scrawled on them. Carefully, he picked one up, placing it on a table. "Wow, you've been busy."  
Eun-Hyuk didn't react at all to his presence, keeping his eyes where they were.  
"I checked on everyone. They're all doing ok for now. A few people are even recovering which is good. It only seems to last two or three days." Hyun-Soo offered.  
Still nothing.  
"You see anything on the cameras?"  
Nothing.  
Hyun-Soo felt a spark of rage ignite before he could stop it. He swiped a hand forward, knocking a pile of papers to the floor. "What's your problem with me!"  
That got Eun-Hyuk's attention. "Seriously? Are you five? Pick those up!"  
"You're one to talk! You're acting like I don't even exist!" Hyun-Soo said. "I've been trying to talk to you for days! And you keep avoiding me!"  
"You're mad at me?" Eun-Hyuk seemed genuinely surprised.  
"No shit Sherlock!" Hyun-Soo yelled. "So what did I do! What the hell did I do?!"  
"Nothing."  
Hyun-Soo slammed his hands on the table. "So you're just bored of me?! You don't want to deal with me?! That's fine, I guess everyone feels that way. But honestly, fuck you for making me think you cared."  
"I do care." A look of regret flashed across Eun-Hyuk's face. "I thought..."  
"What? You thought what?" Anger was replaced with hurt.  
"That it would be easier if I didn't say anything. That it would hurt less." Eun-Hyuk seemed genuinely sorry, and seemingly confused.  
"You don't get how these things work at all do you." Hyun-Soo said. "Look, I'll leave you alone, I'm sorry." he turned to leave.  
"Wait." Eun-Hyuk said. "I don't want you to leave. You're right. I'm the one who should be apologizing." He was talking in the same blunt tone as always, but Hyun-Soo could tell he was being genuine. "You didn't do anything wrong, it was my idea and I'm sorry. I panicked. You're the first person I've even thought about opening up to in years, and I was afraid."  
"Of what?"  
"Of losing you, of failing you. It doesn't matter. I'm acting pathetic. I'm sorry. I never intended for you to blame yourself. I do care about you."  
"Do you mean that?" Hyun-Soo mentally cursed himself for sounding so hopeful. Was he really that deprived of affection?  
"Yes. I do." Eun-Hyuk said, turning away. "I promise you I do."  
Hyun-Soo nodded, feeling himself smile. "Apology accepted then. Sorry for being overdramatic, I'll pick these up." He quickly knelt, gathering the papers. Vague drawings of various monsters decorated the pages, the most recognizable being the steroid monster, with structures labeled and notes scrawled around it. "Woah. What are you working on?"  
"Probably nothing useful. Since we can't kill them, I was trying to think of ways to damage or weaken them. For the muscle one we could potentially try cutting certain tendons and muscles. I hypothesized that he still has the relative muscular structure of a human, just, well, bulked up. Thicker and reinforced. But it should still be able to be cut, and severely injure."  
"That's kind of brilliant." Hyun-Soo said.  
"It's just a thought. And you don't need to keep apologizing. Your response was justified." Hyun-Soo turned to see Eun-Hyuk blinking up at the light.  
"Are you...crying?"  
"No." Eun-Hyuk said, quickly turning away. "Maybe. You're not allowed to tell anyone about this."

It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from Hyun-Soo's shoulders. Eun-Hyuk was still cold, at least by regular standards, but he seemed to have put aside his fears, and even was the one to seek Hyun-Soo out for "nothing in particular", sitting with him working on his theories, or starting conversations.  
"Someone's happy." Eun-Yu said. She was still pale, but she'd recovered from the most part.  
"No. I'm the same as always."  
"Mhm. I'm a psychic." Eun-Yu said. "I'm happy for you."  
"Tha-"  
"Have you slept with him yet?"  
Some things evidently wouldn't change. "We're not even together!"  
"Yet." Eun-Yu said sweetly, balancing on her toes.  
"Stop doing that, you're already hurt." Eun-Hyuk said, walking past where the two were standing.  
"Yes my lord." Eun-Yu said, rolling her eyes. Hyun-Soo stood off to the side, face red, hoping Eun-Hyuk hadn't heard their previous conversation. The second Eun-Hyuk's back was turned, Eun-Yu returned to standing on toe point, wincing and hissing in pain after a few seconds.  
"I warned you. That's what you get." Eun-Hyuk said, shaking his head. He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm going to lay down or something. Try not to do anything stupid. Well, anything else stupid."  
Eun-Yu made a rude gesture, before linking her arm through Hyun-Soo's and skipping away. "Let's go do something stupid, just to piss him off."

As soon as he could get away from Eun-Yu, Hyun-Soo went in search of Eun-Hyuk. It was honestly great that Hyun-Soo knew where to find him most of the time.  
"Does Eun-Yu always talk this much?" he asked as he stepped into the back room.  
"Hm? If she wants me to burst a blood vessel, yes." Eun-Hyuk said. He was bending over one of his stacks of notes. "Do you know what and where the sternocleidomastoid is?"  
"...That's a real word?"  
"Never mind." Eun-Hyuk sighed. "I'll translate later." He laid his head down on the table.  
"Hey, you doing ok?" Hyun-Soo asked, crossing over to Eun-Hyuk and laying a hand on his shoulder.  
"Not feeling great." Eun-Hyuk mumbled, lifting his head slightly after speaking. His eyes were glassy, and when Hyun-Soo put a hand to his forehead, it was warm.  
"Shit, you caught it too."  
"Fantastic. This is just what I need." Eun-Hyuk said, letting his head drop back onto the table with a clunk. "Ow. That was a bad idea."  
"Aww." Hyun-Soo said, petting the other's head. "You should lay down or something."  
"I'll be fine." Eun-Hyuk said, lifting his head back up. "I'll just quarantine myself in here. Actually, this is a good thing."  
"You're turning into a hermit."  
"I already was one. I just have the resources to fully become one now."

Hyun-Soo shook his head, failing to hide a smile. "Fine, I'll let you keep going for now."  
"Wow, how generous of you." Eun-Hyuk said.  
"I know. You're lucky you get to spend the end of the world with someone as good as me." Hyun-Soo said.  
Eun-Hyuk laughed, which turned into increasingly harsh coughing. And it wasn't stopping.  
Before he could realize what he was doing, Hyun-Soo had made his way over to Eun-Hyuk, gently rubbing circles on his back. After several minutes the coughing slowed, then finally stopped.  
"Ok, maybe I'm less ok than I thought." Eun-Hyuk said hoarsely.  
"You think?" Hyun-Soo said teasingly, still keeping a note of concern in his voice. "I mean, I'm not letting you work any more."  
"And if we get attacked and die while I stop working, I'll be sure to use my dying breath to blame you."  
"Aw, don't be bitter."  
"I'm not."  
Hyun-Soo decided to take the initiative. Before Eun-Hyuk could protest any more, he wrapped his arms around the other's waist, lifting him.  
"Woah, ok, you're stronger than I remember." Eun-Hyuk said, gripping onto Hyun-Soo's shoulders for stability. "Never do that again. Ever."  
"Sorry, I'm trying to be gentle." Hyun-Soo said, carrying Eun-Hyuk over to the makeshift bed he had set up for himself, and carefully setting him down. "Gentle enough?"  
"I'll give it a six out of ten." Eun-Hyuk said, looking more tired the moment his body met the bed.  
"I'll take it." Hyun-Soo said. "Now sleep."  
"If only I could do it on demand."  
"I'm starting to understand the things Eun-Yu says about you. You are kind of pushy."  
"So I hear." Euh-Hyuk laid still for a moment, before pushing himself into a sitting position and attempting to get up. "I'm fine, never mind."  
"What! No!" Hyun-Soo said, wrestling Eun-Hyuk back down. "You're even crazier when you have a fever!"  
"How am I crazy?"  
"You're trying to get up and work!"  
"Because I'm fine and I'm wasting time." Eun-Hyuk said, trying to sit up again.  
"No you're not!" Hyun-Soo said, kneeling over him and pushing him back down, keeping a hand on his chest. "You're not fi-" The door swung open.  
"Whoooops, am I interrupting something?" Eun-Yu asked sweetly.  
"He's sick." Hyun-Soo said, standing up quickly. "I'm um...helping."  
"That's an interesting roleplay." Eun-Yu said.  
"Not now Eun-Yu." Eun-Hyuk sighed. "Go do something useful. And stop standing on your toes. Don't even try to deny it. I can see your ankle's swollen."  
"Control freak." Eun-Yu said, turning on her heel and slamming the door.  
"I swear she stands around waiting for these moments so she can tease me." Eun-Hyuk said.  
"What do you mean by moments?"  
"I'm not a very romantic person, Hyun-Soo."  
"Wait, you think we're having a romantic interaction?" It was a little cruel to tease him, but Hyun-Soo couldn't resist.  
"No." Eun-Hyuk said quickly. It might have been the fever, but his cheeks were flushed.  
"I'm kidding." Hyun-Soo lied, acting like he didn't want to know the answer.  
"Mhm." Eun-Hyuk said, eyeing Hyun-Soo out of the corner of his eye. "You're really not going to let me work, are you?"  
"No."  
"Fine." Eun-Hyuk said. "I surrender. I don't have the energy to deal with this."  
Hyun-Soo sat next to him on the mattress. "That's ok. You've definitely earned a break, sick or not."  
"Can I ask you something?"  
"Sure."  
"Why did you ask me to kiss you?"  
Crap. Hyun-Soo was hoping he'd never ask. "Uhhh...I don't know?"  
"That's not an answer."  
Hyun-Soo thought for a moment. "It's been a long time since I mattered to anyone. And when you offered...I don't know. I didn't want to die without taking advantage of that. Taking a chance one last time."  
"And then?"  
"I don't know."  
"Still not an answer."  
"Being that close with you...felt different then other relationships. It felt really good, and natural, and I didn't want to let that go either."  
"Yeah. It felt different to me too." Eun-Hyuk said, turning to look at Hyun-Soo. "Was it worth it?"  
"Was what worth it?"  
"Taking the chance."  
"Yeah. It was." Hyun-Soo said.  
"Are you sure you can't get infected with whatever this bug is?" Eun-Hyuk asked.  
"Yeah wh-" Hyun-Soo never got to finish his sentence. Eun-Hyuk pulled him down closer, kissing him.  
"Does it still feel different?" Eun-Hyuk asked.  
"Yeah." Hyun-Soo said, feeling slightly dazed.  
"Good different?"  
"Definitely."  
And then Eun-Hyuk kissed him again. 

Night fell, and Hyun-Soo found himself sitting on the mattress, stroking Eun-Hyuk's hair as he slept. The recent events felt unreal. It had been so long since Hyun-Soo had experienced anything like this. Since he'd felt seen or valued...he'd forgotten how good it felt.  
Looking down at Eun-Hyuk's sleeping form, Hyun-Soo made a decision. For however long he ended up living, he would do whatever it took to keep Eun-Hyuk alive. He was a good person, he deserved to make it out of this hell, even in Hyun-Soo didn't.  
Who would have thought it would take the end of the world for Hyun-Soo to finally feel human again. The circumstances were so ironic it was sad. He had been planning to end things before all of this had happened.  
Honestly, he was glad he hadn't.  
He thought about the people in his old life. Were they even still alive? Probably not, this new world was incredibly unforgiving. But if they were, would they even believe that someone cared about Hyun-soo?  
What if Eun-Hyuk had met the people in his old life? Would he still feel the same? Strangely enough, Hyun-Soo had a feeling that he would. Eun-Hyuk had the unique ability to understand people, even if some aspects of socializing still eluded him. Somehow, Hyun-Soo had been lucky enough to encounter him, and even luckier to end up like this.  
As he was thinking, Hyun-Soo shifted slightly, causing Eun-Hyuk to stir. The latter looked up at him sleepily. "Where are you going?" He mumbled.  
"Nowhere." Hyun-Soo said, letting his hand return to Eun-Hyuk's head. I'm not going anywhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you guys go!! It's kind of cool I'm updating just in time for valentines day XD  
> So yeah, happy valentines day!! I hope you guys enjoy the holiday, and i hope you enjoyed the chapter. thank you so so much for the support, and I'm glad my writing is this enjoyable!! I'll see you guys in the next update, and I hope everyone seeing this has a lovely day!!


	6. Lean On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tw for blood, mentions of s*lf h*rm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovelies!!! Aaagh you guys quit showering me with praise it's going to my head XD  
> Seriously, thank you for all of the comments and kudos, I'm happy you're all liking it! So what better way to thank you than writing another chapter!!

Eun-Hyuk jerked awake from a spiral of fever dreams. He couldn't exactly remember what he was dreaming about, but he knew it was weird. To his annoyance, he still felt like shit. He was hoping that this would be a twenty four hour thing. Honestly, he felt worse. His body was consumed with a dull ache in his limbs, and he couldn't tell if he was hot or cold. He felt somewhat woozy, definitely still feverish. Jeez, he couldn't even remember the last time he'd gotten sick. He didn't get sick often, but when he did, he crashed hard. Hyun-Soo the lucky bastard couldn't get sick any more-  
Where was he?  
Looking around for him wasn't going to do any good. Hyun-Soo must have removed his glasses at some point. Damn, he had thought of everything. Eun-Hyuk fumbled in the darkness, hoping his fingers would find the familiar metallic frame of his glasses, but of course, that would have been too easy. Hyun-Soo most certainly moved them out of his reach.  
Carefully, Eun-Hyuk got to his feet, grimacing as a wave of dizziness washed over him. Christ, he was really sick wasn't he. It was fine, he was fine. Didn't Hyun-Soo say he wasn't going anywhere? Wow, that lasted long.  
Glasses or not, the darkness wasn't helping things either. What should have been a familiar landscape at this point was a shadowy unknown realm. Eun-Hyuk carefully stepped forward, willing himself to not trip over something. Wait, no, there was a wall. He trailed his fingers over it as he moved, and finally, the door knob. Was this how bats felt? It must suck to be a bat.  
Eun-Hyuk ended up slamming the door into his shin. FUCK, that hurt, did bats even have knees? Why the fuck was he thinking about bats so much. God he didn't feel good...  
He could see a sliver of light across the floor. It was the bathroom most likely. Was Hyun-Soo in there? Well, Eun-Hyuk certainly hoped it was. He didn't need to stumble in on someone random, completely blind, making them doubt him even more than they already did. Yes, that was not needed.  
It took Eun-Hyuk much longer than he would have liked to shuffle across the floor towards the bathroom. He'd taken a few larger steps, before tripping over a bag someone had left out on the middle of the floor, nearly face planting. This was getting ridiculous. Eun-Hyuk was debating laying on the floor. He liked the floor.  
Something licked his leg, giving him a minor heart attack, before realizing it was the dog. The small, yappy dog that seemed to take pleasure in following Eun-Hyuk around.  
He hoped it was the dog. It could be a large rat...why was he thinking about this. He missed his glasses.  
Thankfully, the small, blurry, barely visible shape yipped softly, banishing thoughts of rats from Eun-Hyuk's mind. He kept going, trying not to trip over the dog. Did it have a name? He was fairly sure it did. He'd rename it "Annoyance" or "Nuisance" if he could.  
At long last, he reached his destination. Of course, that was the exact moment the little dog ran directly in front of his legs, causing him to stumble, and literally fall into the bathroom.  
"What the hell!" the humanoid blur in the bathroom yelled as Eun-Hyuk literally crashed through the door. Thankfully, the voice was Hyun-Soo's. "Are you ok?"  
"Have you seen my glasses?" was the first thing to come out of Eun-Hyuk's mouth.  
"What the..." Eun-Hyuk felt Hyun-Soo press a hand to his forehead. "Are you delirious? I swear I only left you alone for five minutes."  
"I was looking for you." Eun-Hyuk said, shakily clinging to the sink to keep his balance.  
"What? Why?"  
"I like knowing where people are." He was worried, but he wasn't going to say that. He got enough pushback from Eun-Yu. Was it really too much to want to know where the people he cared about were? Especially in a time like this?  
"You really don't look good." Hyun-Soo said. Eun-Hyuk couldn't see his face, but he knew it was twisted with concern. And then he didn't look away.  
"What are you staring at?" Eun-Hyuk asked, wishing he could hold eye contact. He didn't like being this vulnerable. He should have gotten eye surgery when he had the chance.  
"You. I've never seen you without your glasses before. I mean, I haven't gotten a chance to really look." Hyun-Soo said, still not changing his gaze.  
Eun-Hyuk felt his cheeks warm slightly, hoping that it would be masked by the fever. He hated this. He scanned around the blurry bathroom, looking for something, anything else...  
Red on the drab tile. He might not be able to tell a dog from a rat, but there was no mistaking that color. Eun-Hyuk had been used to it his whole life.  
"What's that?" He asked, keeping his voice calm despite his mounting panic.  
"What's what?" Hyun-Soo asked quickly, moving his hand over the red. But the shift in movement revealed another splash, and another...  
"Is that your blood?"  
"What? I thought you were blind." Hyun-Soo said, dodging the question.  
Eun-Hyuk made a move forward to try and move Hyun-Soo away from the red so he could get a better, albeit still abysmal, look. This however lead to him stumbling forward, smacking into Hyun-Soo. But, this in itself brought triumph, his fingers brushing against the metallic rims he had searched for earlier, slipped into Hyun-Soo's pocket.  
And then Hyun-Soo pulled them away, out of his reach.  
"Hyun-Soo, are you a child?! Give me those." Eun-Hyuk said, trying to follow where Hyun-Soo moved, and nearly falling forward. His fevered state was not doing him any favors.  
"It's fine, can we please just go back?" There was an odd, pleading note in his voice. Eun-Hyuk recognized that tone, the sound of someone suffering, yet not wanting to admit they needed help.  
"Hyun-Soo. Give me my glasses." He was shaking now, as new chills wracked his body, but Eun-Hyuk still managed to force his normal authoritative tone into his voice. And Hyun-Soo handed them over.  
"Please don't say anything." Hyun-Soo said, as Eun-Hyuk pushed his glasses back on, relishing in his returned sight for a second before turning to Hyun-Soo and the rest of the room.  
He had been right, it was indeed blood, and his first thought was to look towards Hyun-Soo's face, fearing another episode of the turning process-...But it wasn't that. The blood wasn't coming from his nose.  
It was coming from his arms.  
Hyun-Soo wouldn't meet his gaze now, looking utterly ashamed. Eun-Hyuk knew that anything he said wouldn't do much. So he said nothing, carefully taking Hyun-Soo's hand and pulling him back to the back room. He flicked on the light, and quietly shut the door.  
"You aren't going to lecture me? Be angry with me?" Hyun-Soo asked as Eun-Hyuk sat him down on the mattress, before rummaging through shelves.  
"You told me not to say anything." Eun-Hyuk said, finally finding the box he was looking for. He set it down on the floor, before sitting down next to Hyun-Soo and opening it, revealing bandages and various other first aid supplies.  
"Give me your arm." Eun-Hyuk said, holding out his hand, not looking up at Hyun-Soo.  
"This is pointless you know? I'm going to heal eventually." Hyun-Soo said, still letting Eun-Hyuk take his arm. He hissed as Eun-Hyuk pressed a cotton wad against the wound, most likely covered in disinfectant.  
"Eventually." Eun-Hyuk said, carefully cleaning the various fresh lines running down Hyun-Soo's arm. Upon being satisfied with his work, he carefully bandaged the cuts.  
"This is a waste of supplies."  
"No it's not." Eun-Hyuk finished bandaging the arm, letting it rest on his lap. "The other one too?"  
Hyun-Soo nodded slowly. "Not much. I was still...working on it when you came in."  
"Give" Eun-Hyuk said, motioning for Hyun-Soo to give him his other arm. He did, and Eun-Hyuk repeated the process, not looking up until he was finished. His hands shook more than they normally would due to the fever, but Eun-Hyuk continued regardless. "How does that feel?"  
"Better." Hyun-Soo said softly.  
"Now give me the blade."  
"What bla-"  
"Hyun-Soo." Eun-Hyuk said firmly, and the shorter boy plunked a pocket knife into Eun-Hyuk's outstretched hand. "Is this all you have?"  
"Yes."  
"Ok." Eun-Hyuk stood up shakily, returning the first aid kit to the shelves, and slipping the knife into a drawer. "We don't have to have a conversation if you don't want to." he said, back still turned to Hyun-Soo. "But can I ask why?"  
"I don't know. I mean, I do." Hyun-Soo corrected. "I'm so used to it. It makes life easier, like I'm paying some kind of price. It's a reminder of what happened, and I sometimes hope it'll just bleed out of me."  
"What will?"  
"The monster." Hyun-Soo said, gritting his teeth. "It's stupid. I know it's stupid. You can say it."  
"It's not stupid." Eun-Hyuk said, sitting down next to Hyun-Soo, looking him in the eye. "You can tell me these things. Tell me if you feel like doing it again, or if you want to talk about it. I won't make you. And I won't be mad if it happens again."  
Hyun-Soo stared at him, an expression of shock across his face.  
"And if it does, I'll do the same thing I did just now." Eun-Hyuk said, taking Hyun-Soo's arm again, inspecting his work. "It's a little crooked, sorry."  
"Are you even a real person?" Hyun-Soo asked quietly.  
"No. I'm a figment of your imagination." Eun-Hyuk said. "Of course I am."  
"No, I mean...you're so calm."  
"I don't think I can find you a therapist right now. I mean, I can try, but don't get your hopes up."  
"Thank you." Hyun-Soo said, moving slightly closer, yet still shying away, seeming like a nervous puppy.  
Eun-Hyuk pulled him closer, letting Hyun-Soo's head fall onto his shoulder. "You'd do the same if it was me."

They stayed that way for a while, a few hours at least. Eun-Hyuk didn't mind, keeping his attention on Hyun-Soo, alternating between taking his hand or rubbing his back every so often. He came to the realization that Hyun-Soo slept like the dead. He did fall asleep for at least an hour, and he didn't move the entire time, barely breathing, as still as a corpse. If it wasn't for the slightly-above-corpse body temperature, Eun-Hyuk was certain that he'd have his second heart attack of the night. Well, it was technically morning now.  
When Hyun-Soo stirred, the first thing he did was open his eyes, look at Eun-Hyuk and said, "Shit. You stayed up all night."  
"Mhm." Eun-Hyuk said. He felt decent for his current state at the moment, despite knowing that it would fade the second he tried to move. "Are you hungry?"  
"A little." Hyun-Soo said, looking at his bandaged arms. Eun-Hyuk thought he would unwrap them, but he just touched them lightly before standing. "Are you coming?"  
"In a minute." Eun-Hyuk said, debating if standing was even an option. "I'll catch up. Don't let anyone sneak extra food."  
"I'll try." Hyun-Soo said, despite them both knowing he was too timid to say anything. He slowly left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.  
That left Eun-Hyuk to the task of appearing to function decently. 

It had taken him slightly longer to get moving than he would have liked. His legs felt like jelly, and then aching sticks. He'd staggered to the bathroom and was splashing water on his face, something that really wasn't helping.  
"Holy shit." A voice said behind him. Eun-Yu. "You look like a zombie."  
"Good morning to you too." Eun-Hyuk sighed.  
"Remember that zombie romance show I watched?"  
"Mhm."  
"Where the zombies were hot and looked super attractive?"  
"Mhm."  
"Yeah, you don't look like that."  
"Mhm-...Thanks." Eun-Hyuk said, shooting his sister a look. "And I said stop straining your ankle."  
"Asshole." Eun-Yu said, shoving him out of the bathroom and locking him out.  
Having someone yell, "HOLY SHIT IS HE TURNING?" upon seeing him enter the cafeteria with the others was not the best way to start the day honestly. Sure, he looked a little pale, but turning?  
"I'm not turning." Eun-Hyuk said, unable to keep a note of frustration out of his voice. "I'm just recovering from the same bug that you all had." At this point, he was certain that he was the last to catch it. Everyone else had already caught it and almost fully recovered.  
"You look worse." someone observed.  
"I'm fine." Eun-Hyuk didn't exactly love talking to the others when he was healthy, and he didn't have the patience to talk to them now. He'd eat later. It was a mystery to why he'd come out here in the first place.  
He stumbled, knocking into someone on the way out. A glance upward revealed it was the mobster, whatever he was, that Eun-Yu had been hanging around. He mumbled a "sorry" before exiting the room. He was guessing that no one had checked the barrier by the stairs today, so he'd have to do that himself. Faaaantastic. He leaned against a wall for a moment, eyes closed. Why couldn't he shake this illness quickly?  
"Oh my god." Eun-Hyuk opened his eyes to see Jisu, Jayhun a little ways behind her. "Eun-Yu wasn't kidding."  
"Can I help you?" Eun-Hyuk asked, letting his head fall back.  
"I think you should lay down." Jayhun offered.  
"I don't need to lay down. I'm fine." Eun-Hyuk said. Now he was freezing. When had that come on? He'd been fine a moment ago.  
"The rest of us recovered quickly because we acted like normal people and slept. You're just making it worse on yourself." Jisu commented.  
"If I wanted opinions, I would have asked. Now do you need something or not?" He was being colder than usual, but then again, his entire body was colder than usual.  
"There you are!" Hyun-Soo rounded the corner suddenly. "Someone said you were turning. You're not, are you?"  
"I'm. Not. Turning." Eun-Hyuk said. "I feel like I'm dying, but I'm not turning."  
Hyun-Soo whispered something to the others, something along the lines of "I got him", which seemed to reassure them enough to leave. Hyun-Soo walked over and leaned against the wall next to him casually. "Eun-Hyuk?"  
"Mm?"  
"Do you want to go lay down?" Eun-Hyuk's eyes were closed, but he could tell that Hyun-Soo was smiling me.  
"You really are a monster, teasing me in this state."  
"The worst thing I did was keep you up all night. Now I'm going to return the favor. You take care of me, I take care of you."  
Eun-Hyuk finally let himself lose the battle against himself, slumping forward. "Fine, you win."  
"Yay." Hyun-Soo said teasingly, supporting Eun-Hyuk. "Come on, I'll help you walk back."

"This is getting ridiculous." Eun-Hyuk mumbled. He was laying face down on a pillow, as Hyun-Soo closed the door for the fifth time. Yet another person had come to see if Eun-Hyuk was turning.  
"They're worried about you."  
"They're worried about losing their leader." Eun-Hyuk said, lifting his head slightly, before letting it flop back down. "I hate this."  
"You're kind of whiny when you're sick." Hyun-Soo commented, laying down next to him.  
"I am not!" Eun-Hyuk protested. "Ok, maybe I was there."  
Hyun-Soo laughed, wrapping his arms around Eun-Hyuk's waist, holding him close. "Are you feeling any better?"  
"No. I've accepted I'm going to die."  
"Stop." Hyun-Soo said, yanking his glasses off. "I'm staying with you until you're all better."  
"Give them back." Eun-Hyuk grumbled, giving a half assed attempt to snatch them back, before giving up.  
"After you rest." Hyun-Soo said.

"I'm seriously regretting not tossing you out when I had the chance." Eun-Hyuk paused. "I don't mean that."  
"Wow, you're somehow worse than me in social situations." Hyun-Soo said. "Don't worry, I know you didn't mean it."  
"Good." Eun-Hyuk sighed. "At least one person understands what I'm trying to say."  
"Mhm." Hyun-Soo said, stroking his hair.   
"Can you promise me something?" Eun-Hyuk asked. "If I die, you'll look after Eun-Yu?"  
"This is just a minor illness, you're not going to die-"  
"Not from this. From anything. It's become more than clear that you can die any number of horrific ways in this new world. And I can't guarantee that I'll make it out alive. If it comes down to it...I'm going to have to sacrifice myself for the group."  
"Why would you do that?" Hyun-Soo asked softly.   
"Because I have to. It's as simple as that." Eun-Hyuk said. "No one else will. No one else can make these decisions."  
"If that happens, let me do it." Hyun-Soo said. "I'm already dying-"  
"No." Eun-Hyuk gently traced a hand down the bandages. "You already suffered tenfold. You're going to live."  
"I don't know-"  
"You're going to live." Eun-Hyuk said firmly. "And if I somehow make it out with you, I guess we can call that a happy ending to this twisted fairy tale."  
"If this is a fairy tale, which one of us is the princess?" Hyun-Soo asked.  
Eun-Hyuk stared at him, at a loss for words.   
Hyun-Soo smiled. "Come on, this is important."  
"I'm starting to think you're the one with the fever." Eun-Hyuk said.   
"You're a lot more emotional when you're sick." Hyun-Soo commented.  
"Am I?"  
"Mhm. You've shared a little more with me...and you did what you did for me last night."  
"We don't have to talk about it."  
"I want to." Hyun-Soo said. "I don't think I know how to talk about it exactly. I've done it for a long time, and I only have more reasons to now. I was a monster before I even moved here."  
"I don't think that." Eun-Hyuk said. "You've done nothing but prove that you're the most human of us all. You've done things that the majority of people are too scared, to selfish, or too stupid to do. You're not a monster. You never were, you never will be."  
"Things like that sound different coming from you." Hyun-Soo said.   
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"  
"Good. God, you're a million times smarter than any of us. We couldn't have a better leader, and...and I'm so lucky to have gotten to see the kind of person you are. You can see things so clearly, even when the logical path is horrible. You can make tough calls. You can see people for who they are. You can see me...Unless I have these" Hyun-Soo waved Eun-Hyuk's glasses teasingly, just out of reach.   
"Wow. Way to ruin the moment."  
"Sorry. I'm not good at emotional stuff like this. It's been a while since I opened up to anyone."  
"I'm not good at it either. I'm sure you've noticed."  
"What I'm trying to say is thank you." Hyun-Soo said, voice shaking slightly. "Thank you so much, for treating me the way you did, thank you for letting me stay, giving me a chance, thank you-" his voice finally broke.  
Eun-Hyuk reached up, touching a hand to Hyun-Soo's face.  
"What are you doing?" Hyun-Soo asked.  
"Checking if you're crying. I don't know if you've noticed, but I can't see very well." he gently brushed away the tears. "Mhm, thought so. It's ok. I promise it's ok."  
"I can't promise I won't do it again." Hyun-Soo said. "I want to quit, but I don't think I can right off the bat-"  
"No one can. It's ok if you stumble a few times. I'll be there to pick you back up. Lean on me when you need to."  
"Only if you lean on me when you need it." Hyun-Soo said, snuggling closer to Eun-Hyuk, nuzzling his head against the other's neck.   
"Woah." Eun-Hyuk flinched slightly.  
"Sorry!" Hyun-Soo said, drawing back.   
"No, it's ok. I didn't think you were that comfortable with me."  
"I don't know...I'm a very affectionate person when I'm upset." Hyun-Soo said, face red.   
"That's fine too. Come here. I'm freezing and you're warm, so I'm going to use that to my advantage." as they settled, Eun-Hyuk couldn't help but notice that their bodies fit together almost perfectly.   
"Thank you." Hyun-Soo said quietly.   
"You don't need to thank me. I'll waste supplies as often as I want."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnd there we go!!! I'm in the process of making a twitter to announce when I post updates, so i'll let you know when that gets set up. Bear with me, it could be a hot minute XD
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much for reading!! We're over 175 kudos, holy crap!! Thanks so much for the kudos and comments, I'm so happy you guys are enjoying!!! I'm thinking of expanding this from ten chapters to fifteen since it's doing so well. You're enjoying reading, and I'm enjoying writing, so why not go a little longer!! So if you guys think that's a good idea, let me know XD
> 
> Anyways, that's all I have for now. Hopefully I'll see you all soon. I hope everyone seeing this has a lovely day!! <3


	7. Cracks in the Glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tw for mentions of panic attacks, e*ting d*sorders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, almost 200 kudos. Holy crap you guys are insane. Thank you so so so much for all the support, seriously. And shout out to brazilliangirl for the comment you left on the last chapter. It's super cool to know that people in countries different than mine are reading my work ^^
> 
> Anyways, twitter is a work in progress. It's @livdraws03 if you wanna give it a follow XDD I'll figure out the format soon XDD
> 
> Aaaanyways, here we are at chapter...seven I think?? Yeah, seven. I sort of sound like I'm losing my marbles, so I'll just write the chapter now XD

Seeing children during an apocalypse was something Hyun-Soo hadn't imagined. Sure, there were some children in apocalypse themed horror games, but he'd always found himself thinking that there was no way in hell that a child would survive an apocalyptic event. Well, he had been wrong there. He was watching two of them right now.  
Hyun-Soo had been sure to keep relative distance away from both of them. Sure, others may be trusting of him, but he didn't want to take any chances, especially when kids were involved. If anything happened...well, he'd never forgive himself.  
Both of them were incredibly brave. Of that much he was certain. Hyun-Soo had been scared shitless dozens of times himself, and he could hardly imagine how a kid could deal with the horrors of this new world.  
"Staring at children. That's not a good look for you." Eun-Yu said, sitting next to Hyun-Soo. He noticed that her ankle was bandaged.  
"Thanks for making it weird." He responded, making Eun-Yu snort.  
"I didn't make it weird. You were already being weird sitting here alone, creepily watching kids."  
"I'm not being creepy." Hyun-Soo said, giving her an irritated look. "Don't you have someone else to annoy?"  
"Nope." Eun-Yu sighed. "You're the lucky winner. Congrats."  
"Hooray." Hyun-Soo said in a monotone, which made Eun-Yu laugh.  
"Don't be like that. Just think about it. Just you and me, all day long. Me insulting every single thing you say, it'll be so...much...fun."  
Hyun-Soo shoved her playfully. He really hadn't known Eun-Yu long in retrospect, but she felt like more of a younger sister to him than his actual sister had in a long time. Maybe it was weird to feel like this, maybe not, but the point remained that he'd gotten fairly close with her.  
"Have you had sex with my brother yet?" Ok, not that close.  
"Wh-what?! No!" Hyun-Soo said quickly, face burning hotter than it had ever in his life.  
"Damn, really? I totally thought you two were doing it nightly or something." Eun-Yu said, crossing her arms. "You can't deny you're spending a lot of time together. I see you sneaking into where he sleeps every night." she said coyly.  
"We're just talking." Hyun-Soo said quickly.  
"Suuure." Eun-Yu said, rolling her eyes. "You can't make me believe it's all vanilla in there."  
"Stop." Hyun-Soo sighed, face still burning. "Maybe there's a little kissing..."  
"A little?"  
"A lot..."  
Eun-Yu laughed. "Thought so." She shook her head. "Yeah, I'm glad I didn't go for you. You're too emo to be my type."  
"What do you mean by emo?" Hyun-Soo asked, staring at her.  
"Noooothing." Eun-Yu sang. "Ask my brother. Maybe he'll tell you."  
"Speaking of, why are you this invested in his love life? That in itself could be weird and creepy. Not a good look for you."  
Eun-Yu pretended to retch. "Oh god, ew. You're still blind to the majority of his flaws. He has like, a permanent stick up his ass."  
"He doesn't have the traditional definition of fun, but he's a good person." Hyun-Soo said.  
"You really like him, don't you." Eun-Yu said, her voice turning serious for a moment. "You really like him as a person."  
"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Hyun-Soo said. "Don't answer that."  
Eun-Yu rolled her eyes. "We might be poor now, but you can't deny that Eun-Hyuk was going places. He was going to end up with one of those crazy doctor's salaries, and some girls were only interested in that. Not in him."  
"Gold diggers." Hyun-Soo said. "Did he dump them?"  
"No, I scared them off one by one." Eun-Yu said with a wicked grin.  
"You care about him too."  
"Yeah, but you're not allowed to tell anyone. It's a secret." Eun-Yu said.  
"I dunno, maybe you should tell him. He thinks you hate him."  
"I do hate him. Well, not really, but it's easier for everyone if he thinks I hate him."  
"Why's that?" Hyun-Soo said, turning to face her. Eun-Yu's face changed to the look of someone who was cornered.  
"We're not talking about me!" She snapped, before her face turned coy again. "We're talking about you having sex with my brother."  
"EUN-YU!" 

"Do you not like kids? Or do you just not like people." Hyun-Soo asked as Eun-Hyuk shifted uncomfortably. The two were sitting together off to the side, watching the others line up to receive that night's meager dinner.  
"Both." Eun-Hyuk said. He'd shifted away slightly, refusing to look at the kids as they stood in line. "And you're one to talk."  
"Are you scared of them?"  
"What?" Eun-Hyuk shot Hyun-Soo a look. "No, I'm not scared of children. I don't like them, but I'm not scared of them."  
"They're great kids." Hyun-Soo said. "Really strong. I'm sure your blunt personality won't scare them too much."  
"Wow. Ouch."  
"I'm kidding." Hyun-Soo said, leaning against Eun-Hyuk. The other shifted slightly so Hyun-Soo was more comfortable. "Seriously though, what's up with you and kids."  
"I don't know. I don't like them, they don't like me. I'm not good with talking to them. They freak me out. And I'm terrified of making them cry."  
"Awww!" Hyun-Soo said, grinning. "I really don't get why people call you heartless. You're all warm and soft on the inside."  
"Of course there's the small matter of letting one die." Eun-Hyuk said quietly.  
"What?"  
"Nothing." Eun-Hyuk said. "Are you hungry? I'm not. I want to keep messing with the radio, so come and find me if you want."  
"Aww, don't you want to share feelings?" Hyun-Soo teased.  
"Not in public I don't." Eun-Hyuk said, standing up. He glanced around quickly, and after determining that no one was looking, he quickly kissed Hyun-Soo's cheek. "See you in a bit."  
"He's so shy in public." Eun-Yu said, sliding into the seat her brother had just left, making Hyun-Soo jump.  
"Jesus! Are you stalking me now?"  
"We have a very small living space. I don't have anywhere to go." Eun-Yu sighed dramatically.  
"Poor you. Try living in a cell."  
"No thanks, I don't think I will." Eun-Yu said. "Do you even eat anymore? There's always an extra ration left over. Pretty sure some of the guys are gonna fight to the death one of these days over it. I'd start placing your bets on who's gonna win now. When it happens, I'll be sure to have a front row seat."  
"You have a problem." Hyun-Soo said, shaking his head. "I'll see you later." He stood up, making his way quickly down the hall. New questions were arising. He wasn't the one leaving rations. 

"Hey, when was the last time you ate?" Hyun-Soo said, bursting into the back room.  
"Hyun-Soo, there's this magical thing called knocking-"  
"Are you skipping meals?" Hyun-Soo asked. Eun-Hyuk only sighed, looking up at him, not having the heart to lie.  
"I'm not hungry."  
"Eun-Hyuk, are you doing this for the others? Or some kind of punishment?"  
"Like you said, there are kids here. They need it more than I do." Eun-Hyuk said. "And I guess to answer your question, a little of both."  
"Why?" Hyun-Soo asked, concern seeping into his voice. "You haven't done anything wrong-"  
"Of course I have." Eun-Hyuk's voice didn't betray any emotion, but Hyun-Soo could tell he was hurting. "I can't even remember who was watching or who was there at the time, I was watching her. Maybe if I opened it sooner...But that might have let it in...If I'd stopped the soldier...No, if I ran out myself..." Eun-Hyuk seemed to descend into an argument with himself.  
Hyun-Soo's eyes widened in recognition. "That wasn't your fault."  
"I know I can't make a choice that saves everyone. I...god dammit." Eun-Hyuk's voice broke, his head falling forward onto his hands. He was looking downward at the table, chest rising and falling shallowly.  
"Are you ok?!" Hyun-Soo asked. Eun-Hyuk appeared to be frozen in place, completely still save for his breathing. Hyun-Soo rushed over, kneeling down beside him. "Eun-Hyuk, hey. Look at me!" Now that he was closer, he could see that Eun-Hyuk's body was tense, fists clenched, teeth gritted. "It's ok, I promise it's ok. I'm right here."  
It felt like they stayed that way for an eternity, despite it really only being a few minutes. Finally, Eun-Hyuk relaxed slightly, his breathing slowing. "I'm ok. I'm ok."  
"Are you sure?? Should I find Yuri-Park?" Hyun-Soo asked, eyes filled with worry.  
"Stop looking at me like I could drop dead at any second." Eun-Hyuk said. His body was trembling slightly. "I'm fine, seriously."  
"What the hell was that?!" Hyun-Soo exclaimed.  
"Panic attack." Eun-Hyuk said, glancing slightly away from Hyun-Soo. "A small one."

"I'm getting Yuri-Park." Hyun-Soo said, standing up.  
"Don't you fucking dare!" Eun-Hyuk yelled, grabbing his sleeve with trembling fingers.  
"You're seriously scaring me. What's wrong?" Hyun-Soo asked.  
"Nothing. I'm fine. The most unfortunate thing was that you were here to witness that." Eun-Hyuk said, straightening his glasses. "I'm usually better at secluding myself before one starts."  
"What?! How long has this been going on for?!"  
"Since before I met you technically. I meant it when I said I never really recovered from that nervous breakdown. I had a decent handle on it, but it's started to come back recently." he sighed. "Mention this to anyone and I'll shove a taser against your ribs."  
"Woah, hey! I won't!" Hyun-Soo said.

"Ok." Eun-Hyuk said. Hyun-Soo noticed that he was drawing back into his colder, more distant state.  
"Please don't pull away from me." Hyun-Soo said. "You've been here for me when I'm a complete fucking wreck, and I want to do the same for you. N-not that you're a complete fucking wreck-" To his surprise, Eun-Hyuk was smiling slightly.   
"Don't worry. I'm a complete fucking mess." Eun-Hyuk said. "Sorry, I just...I don't know. Dammit, I seriously can't hold it together at the end of the world huh?"  
"How often does that happen? What triggers it? Is this about the kids?" Hyun-Soo asked.  
"Calm down, one question at a time. No, this isn't about the kids! Well. Hmm..."  
"Talk to me." Hyun-Soo said gently.   
"You've seen the woman who took in those two kids. She had a daughter."  
"Yeah. She died." Hyun-Soo said. How much more loss would the survivors be forced to endure?  
"In front of her, feet away from the door, with the body of another survivor pinned against her by a monster's tongue." Eun-Hyuk said.   
"Jesus-"  
"Because of a choice I made." Eun-Hyuk concluded.  
"You're blaming yourself for that?" Hyun-Soo asked.   
"No. Well, sort of?" Eun-Hyuk sighed, letting his head fall forward onto his hands. "There's something wrong with me, Hyun-Soo."  
"It wasn't your fault-"  
"I don't exactly feel guilty. I'm angry." Eun-Hyuk said, surprising Hyun-Soo. The soldier should have listened to me. I made the right choice. Leaving the door open would have let other people die." Hyun-Soo saw his fists clench. "I don't regret it. I made the right choice."  
Hyun-Soo felt his eyes widen. "So...you don't care?"  
"I do care!" Eun-Hyuk said quickly. "It's sad, yes. But that girl was dead the moment she left home that day. It looked like she was going to make it, but she didn't. Even if I opened the door sooner." he took a shaky breath. "It's not that I don't care, Hyun-Soo. It's just that I don't regret my actions. I don't regret letting a child die if it meant the rest of us survived." He looked up at Hyun-Soo, a dark look in his eye. "I don't even feel the loss. Not like others do, not in the right way. It's sad yes, but it's necessary. Sending the firefighter down to where I knew there was a monster. She had to see it up close. She had to be pushed to action. Yes, I tricked her, but I don't regret it. I made the right choice." his face hardened. "See? There's something wrong with me."  
Hyun-Soo found himself at a loss for words.   
"You don't even know what to say to me." Eun-Hyuk said, smiling bitterly. "That's ok. You should have known this about me sooner."  
"I don't think there's anything wrong with you." Hyun-Soo said finally.   
"Liar. I appreciate it, but we both know that's not true." he stood shakily. "As Eun-Yu, she remembers all kinds of stories. I don't feel right, Hyun-Soo. I don't mean that I'm sick, well at least in a physical sense, but I don't feel things right, like emotions."  
Hyun-Soo nodded slowly.   
"I guess I might as well just get the disappointment out of the way now. I don't think I can be some kind of overly affectionate partner to you, so sorry. You might want to look elsewhere."  
"Sorry, but can you shut up for a second?" Hyun-Soo said, before he could stop himself. "Um, sorry. But I like you as you are. There's nothing wrong with you. You're just...wired different."  
"Understatement." Eun-Hyuk said. "I've tried researching it. Sociopathy maybe, I'm not sure. But whatever I am, it's not right..."  
"I'm a literal monster." Hyun-Soo said. "There is no right anymore. Even before this, you did what you had to. To survive. You've never known anything else. You can't be blamed for that. And honestly, that makes you a better leader than anyone else. People need to make those calls. Even if not everyone likes them..."  
"I appreciate you trying. I really do." Eun-Hyuk said.   
"Have you ever mentioned feeling like this to anyone before?"  
"...No." Eun-Hyuk said finally. "Like I said, it's the end of the world, so I can't break down now. If I can at least get as many people as possible out of here alive..." he trailed off. "Fuck. God fucking dammit."  
This entire encounter showed that Eun-Hyuk was the type to internalize pain, literally drawing it into himself and holding it, until he literally couldn't. It was a stark contrast to Hyun-Soo. He was expressive, he didn't keep things in, they came crawling out of him. But he could understand the pain.   
"I knew someone who didn't feel anything. Only anger and hate." Hyun-Soo said, slowly approaching Eun-Hyuk. "He was wrong, there was something very, very wrong with him. He made hard choices too. He was just cold. Empty."  
"Like me." Eun-Hyuk finished.   
"No." Hyun-Soo said. "The only choices he made were for himself or his enjoyment. He didn't care about anyone but himself. You're not like that. You're not empty at all. I know you do feel things too. Maybe not as much, or in the same way as other people, but I know you feel things. You wouldn't be this distraught over things if you couldn't. You want to protect Eun-Yu, you care about her. You're trying to keep us all alive. And you feel things for me. I mean...At least I think you do."  
"Why are you so determined to stay with me?" Eun-Hyuk asked.   
"Because you were for me. You can say that you kept me around for the sole purpose of having a weapon, but I know it was more than that. Don't even try to say anything. I can see it in your eyes. So don't push me away!" Hyun-Soo said, before backing down. "And sorry for telling you to shut up."  
"You're the most unique person I've ever met Hyun-Soo." Eun-Hyuk said.   
"So are you. And if I met you before this all happened, and we had time to talk. I know I'd feel the same way I do now." That last statement seemed to do it. Eun-Hyuk's face didn't change much, that wasn't his style. But Hyun-Soo could see that the will to fight him on this had left his eyes. Eun-Hyuk's eyes were the most expressive part of him.   
"I'm sorry." He said. "I don't want to dump all of my baggage on you."  
"It's ok. I want to help." Hyun-Soo said. "Because I owe you, and because I want to."  
"I really don't deserve someone like you on my side."  
"Yes you do, you aren't a bad person. If you were, you wouldn't worry about keeping everyone else alive."  
"You're not going to let up about this." Eun-Hyuk sighed. "You're the most stubborn person I've ever met."  
Hyun-Soo smiled. "When it comes to the people I love, yeah." He saw Eun-Hyuk staring at him. "What?"  
"Did you mean that in a "I like you as a person" way? Or..."  
"I love you." Hyun-Soo said again, blushing. "Sorry, that was really forward, and it's kind of a bad time."  
"Stop apologizing. We went over this when I nearly died in a freezer."  
"Sorry about that too..."   
"We'll work on that." Eun-Hyuk said. Hyun-Soo had looked at the floor, something he automatically did when apologizing. He felt Eun-Hyuk's hand under his chin, gently guiding him until they were looking at each other.   
"Hi."  
"Hi." Eun-Hyuk said back, his own face coloring slightly.   
Hyun-Soo saw a chance, and he took it. "I love you, Lee Eun-Hyuk."  
His strike hit home, as he watched Eun-Hyuk blush brighter than he'd ever seen him before. "You did that on purpose, he muttered, trying his best to hold eye contact."  
"Yeah." Hyun-Soo said. "I'm not sorry."  
"I didn't think so."  
Hyun-Soo couldn't resist the urge to tease him just a little more. "Hey, do you love me too?"  
"What? Yes." He didn't think it was possible, but Eun-Hyuk's face went slightly redder.   
"What? I couldn't hear you." Hyun-Soo wasn't able to hide his smile.   
"I love you too." Eun-Hyuk mumbled.   
"What?"  
"God fucking dammit! I love you too, Cha Hyun-Soo." he exclaimed, looking up, face burning. "Happy?"  
"See? You're feeling things." Hyun-Soo said, letting his hand rest on Eun-Hyuk's cheek. "Don't even try to deny it. It's written all over your face." he smirked. "Literally."  
Eun-Hyuk regained enough composure to roll his eyes. "Seriously? This is how you're proving a point?"  
"Mhm." Hyun-Soo said. "I thought it was a great idea. A really great ide-"  
Eun-Hyuk kissed him, cutting him off. "Sorry, but can you shut up for a second?"  
"You're never going to let me live that down, are you." Hyun-Soo groaned.   
"Nope." Eun-Hyuk said, pleased that he'd gained the upper hand again.   
"Look, the point is, I don't care if you feel and express things differently. I'm not normal either. So you don't have to hide away when you start feeling like this. Come to me instead."  
"Eun-Hyuk nodded. "Ok-"  
"And I'm watching you eat from now on."  
"What? Why?!"   
"It's payback for the blade."  
"Seriously?! That was for your own good."  
"And this is for yours. So shut up." Hyun-Soo said, smiling.   
"Never thought I'd live in a world where "shut up" is romantic." Eun-Hyuk said, kissing him again.   
"I'm just glad to be in a world with you." Hyun-Soo said.   
"Stop it!" Eun-Hyuk said, face burning as he shoved him lightly. "You're taking advantage of my state."  
"Aww, you're one of those people who doesn't know how to handle affection." Hyun-Soo said. "Alright, I'll stop for now, but come on, time for food."  
"Fine." Eun-Hyuk sighed.   
"Wow, that was easy."   
"It's clear I'm obviously not in a position to argue." Eun-Hyuk said, crossing his arms. "I'll get revenge."  
"I'm sure you will-" the door burst open, nearly slamming Hyun-Soo in the face.   
"Oh. Whoops." Eun-Yu said. "My bad."  
"Door slamming rules apply to the apocalypse." Eun-Hyuk said.   
"Oh my god will you PLEASE get the stick out of his ass Hyun-Soo." Eun-Yu groaned.   
"I don't have a stick up my ass!"  
"Sureeee." Eun-Yu said. "Anyways, I'm looking for my book."  
"I don't know where it is." Eun-Hyuk sighed. "I doubt I've even seen it."  
"Yeah you have." Eun-Yu said. "You too." She turned to Hyun-Soo. "I put it on the supply list a while back, and I never got it. So like, your customer service is shitty." with that she spun on her heel, making a big show of closing the door gently.  
"Do you have any idea what she's talking about now?" Eun-Hyuk asked, reopening the door.   
Hyun-Soo thought back to his supply runs. The last book he'd gotten was...his face reddened. "No." he said quickly.   
Eun-Hyuk glanced at him. "Bullshit. So much for being open with each other."  
"Wait no!"  
"I'm joking. But seriously. Tell me."  
"Um, it was the book."  
"Oh of course, "the book"."  
"Shut up." Hyun-Soo said, nudging him. "It was, um. The book I was reading, um. The night I...askedyoutokissme." He finished quickly.   
"Are you serious?" Eun-Hyuk said.   
"What? Are you mad at her?"  
"No. More impressed. I told her that she could play matchmaker with me when the world ended. She took it literally."  
"Well, I'm glad she did." Hyun-Soo said, taking his hand.   
Eun-Hyuk turned towards him, a small smile on his face. "Shut up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go! God dammit it happened again, I reached 200 kudos before finishing this chapter XD
> 
> So yeah, thank you so freaking much! This is on a fast track to becoming my second most popular fic!! Seriously I can't tell you how much I appreciate the support. Sorry this update was a little slow. Midterms are fuuuuuun (said no one ever) Anyways, hopefully I'll be back soon with an update. I'll try to work the twitter. (I said the twitter as a joke, I'm not that hopeless XD)  
> Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!! I hope everyone seeing this has a lovely day!!


	8. Jealous Daggers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! Ask and you shall receive!! Since I saw a lot of you talking about how you'd want a chapter centered around jealosy, I thought I'd go ahead and add that in for you!! (Also saw a request for (exact words here) a "spicy kiss scene". Maaaaybe I decided to add that too)
> 
> Anyways, this marks the first time of me using my twitter to say that I updated, so those of you who follow me, tell me if I did it right or not. I'm new to this whole disaster XDD 
> 
> Anyways, that's all I got, so it's chapter time!!

Eun-Hyuk had always been the type of person to prefer being alone than being with another person for an extended amount of time. Sure, he could fake conversations decently enough to appear comfortable, but he got emotionally exhausted easily, and overall preferred his own company to anyone else's.  
Well, that had changed recently.  
He hadn't ever been this physically close to someone, he thought as his hand traveled down Hyun-Soo's back. Being pressed up against someone hadn't sounded like a fun past time to him, but trying it with a person he trusted as opposed to an awkward situation on the subway...well, things were certainly different.  
Strangely enough, he couldn't remember who had started it. He and Hyun-Soo had somehow ended up in the same room together, alone, and something at least had to happen, because how else would he be in his current position of being pressed up against a wall, kissing Hyun-Soo with an intimacy he hadn't previously thought was possible.  
He was going to blame the intense, almost dizzying rush of emotion and pleasure that was enveloping his body currently. He felt vibrant, he felt alive...was it even possible for one's head to grow this fuzzy under circumstances like this? Was that a logical thing?  
Eun-Hyuk forced himself to stop thinking. He wasn't going to rationalize this, he was just going to enjoy it.  
Hyun-Soo had surprised him again. His timid personality was the complete and total opposite of his affection style. He knew what he wanted, and he knew what he wanted to do. He wasn't overly harsh with Eun-Hyuk, but his touch was firmer, more purposeful. Eun-Hyuk had debated if he'd be alright with a partner who tended to be a little rougher, if he even found a partner. This wasn't how he expected it to be though, the firm, solid, almost protective grip around his waist felt better than any previous lighter touch.  
He certainly wasn't standing there doing nothing though. He had more technique then Hyun-Soo. It was an interesting thing to think about, having more romantic experience than someone. Despite never particularly enjoying it before, he certainly had picked up a few tricks.  
But Hyun-Soo proved to be a fast learner.  
Before Eun-Hyuk could react, Hyun-Soo shifted slightly, changing to pressing kisses against his neck and collarbone. The fast switch and sensation caused him to gasp in pleasure, the intimacy and all its sensations still new to him in a way.  
Hyun-Soo looked up at him grinning. "You like that huh?"  
"I will never understand why you seem to take pleasure in breaking my shell open." Eun-Hyuk said, smiling back. He couldn't really be angry about this.  
"Wow, why would I enjoy breaking down the walls of the most guarded person I've ever met." Hyun-Soo teased. "It's a total mystery to me. I guess I'm just special."  
Eun-Hyuk rolled his eyes before grabbing Hyun-Soo by the shirt collar and pulling him closer, kissing him, preferring the gentler route. It proved effective, Hyun-Soo practically melted into him, shivering slightly with pleasure.  
"Seems you liked that." Eun-Hyuk mused, stroking his hair.  
"When did this become a competition?" Hyun-Soo mumbled, hiding his blushing face against Eun-Hyuk's chest. How the tables had turned. It seemed his timid personality would never be completely overshadowed.  
"When you made it one." Eun-Hyuk said, lifting Hyun-Soo's chin and lightly kissing him again. "Guess I win." Hyun-Soo mumbled something incoherent in response. Eun-Hyuk raised an eyebrow. "Hm? What was that?"  
"I said don't be so sure." Hyun-Soo said, kissing him. Eun-Hyuk didn't expect anything surprising, but once again he underestimated Hyun-Soo. The shorter pressed his tongue against Eun-Hyuk's, an action that made the other debate pulling away out of instinct, but ultimately he felt his body relax.  
"I felt you flnch." Hyun-Soo said. "Sorry, too much?"  
"No." Eun-Hyuk said. "Instinct. I think I'm allergic to people invading my space."  
"Aww." Hyun-Soo said. "Sorry."  
"For the last time, you don't have to apologize." Eun-Hyuk said, patting his head. "I really don't want to go, but I should. Every moment those idiots are unsupervised is a moment leading to disaster."  
"You sound like a crabby grandfather." Hyun-Soo commented.  
"No I don't!" Eun-Hyuk paused. "...Do I?"  
"Sometimes." Hyun-Soo said, snuggling closer to Eun-Hyuk, holding him in place. "And what if I don't let you go?"  
Eun-Hyuk sighed. "Well played. You're much stronger than me, so I'm screwed. I guess I'm stuck here forever, never to see the outside world again."  
"You take the fun out of kidnapping."  
"I do not!...I'm not trying to." Apparently his unconscious ability to take the fun out of everything was becoming a problem.  
"Hey, I was kidding." Hyun-Soo said, squeezing him tighter before letting him go. "Alright, you're free. For now."  
"For now." Eun-Hyuk said, smiling. "Alright, I'll see you in a bit. If you don't have anything to do, raid Eun-Yu's stuff and take any and all cigarettes. And don't tell her I told you to do it."  
"Fair enough." Hyun-Soo said. "What about you? Where are you going?"  
"Some of the others stumbled upon a collection of older first aid kits with some helpful materials, but it's unclear how long they've been there for, and if parts of them are still usable. Yuri-Park and I are going to evaluate them. She's a goddess."  
"Ok." Hyun-Soo said slowly. "See you later." He left quickly, giving Eun-Hyuk only a brief glance at his face, and the strange expression displayed on it. He was gone before Eun-Hyuk had the chance to say anything else. 

"How about that? Is that good?"  
Eun-Hyuk was about to explode from irritation. Despite the fact that he had made it perfectly clear that only he and Yuri-Park were needed to evaluate the supplies, a cluster of the other survivors had decided that it was necessary to stand over them as they worked.  
"I don't know yet." Eun-Hyuk said through gritted teeth. "I haven't even opened it yet." Carefully, he unscrewed the bottle he'd found, fingers brushing against the faded label, too blurry to read.  
"Is it good?" someone else asked. Eun-Hyuk nearly threw the bottle at the source of the voice.  
"I haven't even looked at it yet." Eun-Hyuk said. He yearned to flee the room, retreat for at least a few minutes, get himself some space to breathe. Yet he forced himself to stay. He was going to get this done now so he wouldn't have to do it later.  
Upon closer examination, the pills appeared to be basic Tylenol, but if they were still good was questionable.  
"Are they good?" yet another voice asked.  
"I don't know." Eun-Hyuk said, voice dangerously calm. "Would you like to help? Take one of these and see if you survive." he held out the bottle to the crowd. He'd never seen a group dissipate faster. Finally, silence.  
"So what's going on with you and Hyun-Soo?" Yuri-Park asked. Or not.  
"What's going on with you and Mr. Gangste-" Christ, was that really the name that was branded in his mind? He had to stop listening to Eun-Yu.  
"Nicely played." Yuri-Park said, keeping her eyes on her work. "You don't ask me, so I don't ask you."  
"Deal." Eun-Hyuk said. That had worked out nicely. Sure, he was working on being more emotionally open, but he barely knew this girl, and he wasn't quite ready to talk personally with practical strangers. Yuri-Park didn't seem to be especially talkative either-  
"I didn't think you two would get together." Or not.  
"Hm?" it was the only response Eun-Hyuk was willing to offer at the moment.  
"I thought he and Jisu would end up together." Yuri-Park mused.  
"What? Why?"  
"They're always alone together. They make each other happy. They're each other's types." Yuri-Park said, examining some bandages. "I think these have been opened. Want me to see if the individual ones are still sealed?"  
"Yes." Eun-Hyuk said, barely focusing on the task. He was overthinking things wasn't he? Yes, it was time to start handling things logically again. Jisu and Hyun-Soo weren't that close, were they?...They certainly did spend a lot of time together.  
Christ, was he really thinking about this? He needed to snap out of it right now-A flash of movement caught his attention. Two people walking together, laughing, close enough for their shoulders to touch.  
Hyun-Soo and Jisu. That was ironic. Painfully ironic.  
"Are you ok? You look really pale." Yuri-Park said, looking at him.  
"I'll be right back." Eun-Hyuk said, quickly getting up and exiting in the opposite direction. 

This right here was why Eun-Hyuk didn't do relationships. It wasn't worth the stress and the panic, and the overthinking. He was going to break himself down even more than he already was at this rate. Christ, and he'd thought it had been a smart idea to stop taking medication. Well, he would have run out eventually in this apocalyptic world, so that was for the best. Things always had to be done for the best, even if they were painful.  
Being with Hyun-Soo was the largest break from that philosophy Eun-Hyuk had ever experienced in his life. Was it a mistake? Was it-  
The door slammed open, making Eun-Hyuk nearly jump out of his skin. Hyun-Soo burst into the room, breathing quickly. "Ok, I'm here now."  
"Yes, you are." Eun-Hyuk said. "Haven't I told you about this thing called knocking?"  
Hyun-Soo ignored the sarcasm. "Yuri-Park said you were looking kind of pale, and that's how you look when you get anxious, so I wanted to find you in case you were having another panic attack so you weren't alone." Hyun-Soo said. "So, you ok?"  
God, Eun-Hyuk did not deserve this pure, loyal person in his life. Not when he was standing here doubting and stressing over his loyalty. This was exactly why he didn't do relationships.  
"You're staring at me." Hyun-Soo said. "What's wrong?"  
"What's your relationship with Jisu?" God dammit! Why had he said that!? Well, at least he'd sounded calm while saying it, like nothing was wrong.  
"What? We're friends. She's saved my life a few times too. Wait...are you jealous?"  
"No." Eun-Hyuk said slowly. Yeah, that was casual.  
Hyun-Soo started laughing. "Oh my god you are!" Or not. Eun-Hyuk wondered how many more times he'd end up thinking that today.  
"Stop laughing at me." Eun-Hyuk said, chest weighted down with guilt.  
"No, no, I'm not laughing at you." Hyun-Soo said, recovering. "It's just really ironic. I'm sorry, sorry give me a minute." He said, still laughing. "Sorry, sometimes when I'm relieved I go kind of crazy."  
"I'm not following." Eun-Hyuk said, guilt still pressing.  
"Sorry. Ok, it's ironic because I kinda was too."  
"Was what?" Eun-Hyuk's mind felt like it was moving at the speed of a snail.  
"Jealous. You called Yuri-Park a goddess. I don't know, it was really really stupid now that I think about it."  
"No, I didn't mean it like that. I meant her skills are incredibly proficient for her age and career." Eun-Hyuk said. "Dammit, it did sound weird didn't it. That's on me. I'm sorry."  
"The tables have turned. Stop apologizing." Hyun-Soo said. "I think it's kinda obvious I have confidence issues." he shrugged. "I swear I trust you."  
"Now I just feel bad." Eun-Hyuk sighed.  
"Don't! You didn't do anything wrong. Anxiety's a bitch." Hyun-Soo said. "Trust me I know. Honestly...this might be a good thing."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Like, we're communicating, right?" Hyun-Soo said, making various hand gestures back and forth. "Sorry, I don't know what I'm doing."  
Despite the situation, Eun-Hyuk felt himself smile. "You really are adorable."  
"No I'm not. I'm fierce and terrifying." Hyun-Soo said. "Wait, before I get distracted, just let me say it right now. There's nothing going on between me and Jisu, or me and any other person, or Eun-Yu-"  
"You think I wouldn't connect the dots if you were dating my sister?"  
"What? I mean, I've watched enough dramas to know that dating the sister of the love interest isn't good...you're messing with me aren't you?"  
"Just a little." Eun-Hyuk admitted. "And dramas? That's where you're getting your advice from?"  
"No! Jesus." Hyun-Soo said, shaking his head and failing to hide a smile. "Ok, just being around you makes things feel more ok."  
"Aww." Eun-Hyuk said, letting himself smile as well. "Then let me say there's nothing going on between me and any other human in this building aside from you. I don't think any of them like me very much, and I don't like them."

"Aww, that makes me special then, doesn't it?"  
"You were already special and one of a kind before you met me." Eun-Hyuk said, crossing his arms.  
"Wow, this is so sweet I'm getting diabetes." Both boys whirled to see Eun-Yu sitting atop a stack of chairs.  
"Jesus Christ, have you developed the ability to teleport!?" Eun-Hyuk yelled.  
"Maybe." Eun-Yu said. "Maybe I was already in here before you came in. Maybe I snuck in. Maybe I never existed to begin with."  
"Out." Eun-Hyuk said, pointing to the door.  
"Out" Eun-Yu mimicked his voice, rolling her eyes. "Just kiss and make up already. You're both crazy about each other and you know it."  
"Goodbye." Eun-Hyuk said firmly. Eun-Yu slammed the door in response, and Eun-Hyuk groaned. "I need to tie a bell to her."  
"I'm starting to think that's a good idea." Hyun-Soo said, nodding. "So, you're crazy about me?"  
"Crazy about you? Or driven crazy by you?"  
"Oh come on, can't we have a nice moment?" Hyun-Soo said. "I think we're two of the most socially awkward, anxious people in existence."  
"A match made in heaven." Eun-Hyuk said sarcastically.  
"More like in hell. That's where we seem to be." Hyun-Soo said. "Come on, it's ok. I'll stop feeling bad if you stop feeling bad."  
"You have nothing to feel bad about!"  
"Neither do you. So deal or no deal?"  
"You're craftier than I give you credit for." Eun-Hyuk said.  
"Apparently I surprise you a lot." Hyun-Soo said. "So, deal?"  
"Deal." Eun-Hyuk said. "Can I ask you to do something for me?"  
"Depends. Is it legal?" Hyun-Soo said, rivaling Eun-Hyuk's previous sarcasm.  
"Firstly, I don't think there are laws any more. Secondly, yes, last I checked it's legal." Eun-Hyuk said, purposefully messing up Hyun-Soo's hair. "Eun-Yu told you our old apartment number, right?"  
"Mhm." Hyun-Soo said.  
"I need you to get something for me. Bottom right drawer of my dresser. You'll know it when you see it."  
"Is that all, your highness?" Hyun-Soo asked teasingly.  
"Don't look through anything else, don't make a mess, don't tell anyone about it, and don't judge me." Eun-Hyuk said, counting off the statements with his fingers. "Since you asked, I thought I might as well be generous and add more."  
"Bastard." Hyun-Soo said, poking his chest.  
"Shut up." Eun-Hyuk said in return, shoving him lightly.  
"So, are we good now?" Hyun-Soo asked, eyes looking hopeful. He really did remind Eun-Hyuk of a puppy.  
"Of course we are. Especially if you keep calling me your highness. I like the rush of authority."  
"If you say so." Hyun-Soo said, holding out his hand. "Walk with me? I left some things back in my...room. My cell-like room."  
Eun-Hyuk took his hand, the motion serving as his answer. 

A metallic knocking sound yanked Eun-Hyuk out of his thoughts the next day. Hyun-Soo had left for supplies, leaving him to monitor cameras, and work on his theories about the muscular structures of the monsters.  
"Do you need something?" Eun-Hyuk asked without looking up. Unless it was Hyun-Soo or Eun-Yu, he didn't stop working. That didn't mean he wasn't listening however.  
"We need to talk." Jisu said, standing in the doorway, arms crossed, bat hanging casually from one hand.  
"Then talk."  
"You're not very friendly, you know that?" Jisu said, sitting down across from Eun-Hyuk.  
"Friendly doesn't keep you alive." Eun-Hyuk said. "So, do you need something?"

"I'm not gonna steal your guy or anything."  
That made Eun-Hyuk look up. "Excuse me?"  
"Like, don't get me wrong, I'm super flattered that you think I'm hot enough to steal him-"  
"What are you even-"  
"But I'm not that kind of person." Jisu finished seriously. "We both know you're smart so don't play dumb. I know what's going on. And Eun-Yu told me." Ah, so that was it.   
"Alright." Eun-Hyuk said. "I don't see why this required a conversation, but thank you for "not stealing my guy" or whatever the term is."  
"Us normal people like to talk things out, not just think things out." Jisu said, smirking. "What you and Hyun-Soo have is special, even I can tell that. Having a bond with a person like that is rare." she turned sad. "Don't lose it."   
"I don't plan to." Eun-Hyuk said. "Thank you though. For talking it out."  
"No need to thank me, you just want me out of your hair and out of your space." Jisu snickered.   
"No, I mean it." Eun-Hyuk said. "I don't know what the others have told you about me, but I do feel emotions, and I can feel gratitude and genuinely appreciate things."  
"Shit, you're aware of the rumors?"  
"What?"  
"Double shit, no you didn't." Jisu cringed. "It's a game. Where we make theories about you. One was that you were a robot."  
Eun-Hyuk was never going to understand other people, was he. "Well, I can assure you that's not true."  
"Yeah, I've noticed." Jisu said. "Hyun-Soo's my friend, so I'm not gonna stop hanging around him, but I can promise you there's nothing else going on. We're just friends, nothing more."  
"I wouldn't ask you to stop hanging out with him. I'm aware of how irrational I was being."   
"Still." Jisu shrugged. "Trust me, I hung around all sorts of catty girls when I was in school. It's almost instinct to clarify things like that at this point. Man, bet those bitches would make some wicked monsters."  
"They most likely would." Eun-Hyuk said, allowing himself to smile. "Thank you, Jisu. I really mean it. I really appreciate it."  
"You're welcome." Jisu nodded. "Wow, have we ever talked one on one before?" It seemed Eun-Hyuk had been cornered by the elusive extrovert.   
"I don't think we have. At least, nothing casual. I don't really do casual small talk."  
"Is that my cue to leave?" Jisu laughed. "Sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?"  
"No." Eun-Hyuk lied. "You can stay if you want." He continued, hoping she would leave.   
"It's ok, I'll leave you alone." She said, standing and stretching. "You're working anyways. We're lucky to have you. A doctor and a leader all in one. You must be some kind of prodigy."  
"I was called that before, yes." Eun-Hyuk said, relieved that he would soon have the silence he craved. It was nothing against Jisu, he just didn't have the confidence to have an actual, friendly conversation with her. Maybe if it was a necessary conversation about survival he'd be alright, but he'd never been good at making friends.   
"Oh hey, one more thing." Jisu said, turning around and resting her bat on her shoulder. "Two more actually."  
"Alright."  
"First of all, sorry about the noise when I moved in. Eun-Yu said you were ready to gouge your ears out with a pencil. So sorry about that."  
"That's an overstatement." Eun-Hyuk said. "But it's alright. It obviously doesn't matter any more."  
"I don't like leaving things up in the air. You never know when you're talking to someone for the last time. It's best to resolve things while you can." Jisu said quietly. "Sorry, that got depressing."  
"It's ok. What was the other thing?"  
"Right, Hyun-Soo and I are friends."  
"You mentioned that." He didn't mean for it to sound standoffish, but thankfully Jisu didn't take it that way.   
"So that means if you hurt him, I kick your ass." Jisu said, knocking her bat against her palm. "See ya around." She turned and closed the door, leaving Eun-Hyuk alone.   
Usually conversations with bat wielding girls left people uneasy, but Eun-Hyuk felt the opposite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok! It wasn't especially clear which character you guys wanted to feel jealous, sooooo I went with both! I'm happy to take more requests if enough people want something. I do have the next few chapters planned out, but I'm happy to give the people what they want XD  
> Again, I tried to use my twitter, so hopefully that helped. If anyone else wants to follow it's @livdraws03. I don't think I'll use it for much, maybe post some art or something like that, but I'll mainly use it to mention when I update here. So if you think that's good, great XD  
> Anyways, this was a little of a late update, so I'm sorry. Hopefully the next one will be sooner. I'll certainly try my best!! Thank you so much again for all the support. I send all of you virtual internet love, thank you so much.   
> That's all I have for now, so hopefully you enjoyed ^^


	9. Back to Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there friends! Well, fuck the covid school year because now we have finals every quarter, so it's that fun time again. Between the two classes I'm taking, I'm pretty busy but I'm trying my best to get this out. Again, I'm trying to take your requests into consideration, and thankfully again they fit well into ideas I was already wanting to explore. Thank you all so much for the continued comments and kudos. Seriously it's insane, you guys are freaking amazing.  
> Someone asked if I'm a professional writer, and no, I'm just a tired college student XD  
> Anyways, if you guys wanna follow my twitter, it's @livdraws03 I've been posting updates about my posting schedule on there, so if you guys wanna know what stage of chapter writing I'm in, I'll probably put that there.  
> Ok, so that's all I have to say, thank you so much again for all the support, and I hope to do you justice with this chapter!!

Running through possibly monster-infested halls with no weapons and no protection was not what Eun-Hyuk had thought his day would end up being. He repeatedly said that the whole situation annoyed him, and he didn't even know why he'd done it. Those comments only made Hyun-Soo smile. He'd done it because he was a good person.  
While Hyun-Soo was out on a supply run, the little dog that was almost always glued to its owner's side had decided to sprint through an opening in a barricade and take its chances in the unknown. In order to avoid more chaos and screaming, Eun-Hyuk had shoved a part of the barricade aside, dashing out, hoping to grab the dog and drag it back in without issue.  
Unfortunately the little bastard was fast, and it had never liked Eun-Hyuk.  
"The stupid thing couldn't see I was trying to help it." Eun-Hyuk said, crossing his arms. "Thank god it ran itself into a corner, otherwise I might have just turned around and abandoned it."  
Hyun-Soo knew he wouldn't have. "I'm sure it knows on some level that you saved it, and it appreciates it."  
"It bit me." Eun-Hyuk said, showing Hyun-Soo the surprisingly nasty bite mark on his arm. "So I seriously doubt that."  
"Jesus!" Hyun-Soo said, staring at the mark. "Maybe we should start using the dog as a weapon. It does way more damage than I thought."  
"I hope it doesn't have rabies. Rabies is pretty much the last thing I need right now." Eun-Hyuk said, rolling his sleeve back down. Hyun-Soo burst out laughing, causing Eun-Hyuk to stare at him. "Why the hell are you laughing?"  
"You run through a monster infested building, and you're worried about rabies?!"  
"I think that's a perfectly reasonable thing to worry about." Eun-Hyuk said. "Fun fact, rabies is the most likely disease to cause a full on zombie apocalypse."  
"How is that a fun fact?" Hyun-Soo asked. "And I think we're good on the whole apocalypse thing."  
"Exactly." Eun-Hyuk said, grinning slightly. "That's why rabies is the last thing I need right now."

While distributing objects to those who had requested them, Hyun-Soo had noticed other survivors fawning over the "brave little dog" who survived outside of the barricade.  
"You'd think it died and came back as dog Jesus." Eun-Yu commented, watching the dog get spoiled. "No offense."  
Jae-Heon looked at her. "Why would I be offended?"  
"Because you're like, a church person and...nevermind." Eun-Yu said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I think we should use it as bait and try to lure in a scarier pet."  
"That's horrible!" Jisu laughed. I think he's kinda cute."  
"Trust me, he's scary enough." Hyun-Soo said. "You should have seen the bite he took out of Eun-Hyuk."  
"Ooh, ouch." Jisu said, wincing in sympathy.  
"It's always the smallest ones that have the worst bite." Jae-Heon said cryptically.  
"Is that some kind of bible verse?" Eun-Yu asked.  
"No. Why would it be?"  
"Never mind again." Eun-Yu said, shaking her head. "If you didn't have badass sword moves, you'd be kind of a square."  
"So where is he anyways?" Jisu said, quickly intervening. "Eun-Hyuk."  
"He's allergic to socializing." Eun-Yu said. "He's probably hiding out somewhere, being a smart ass. I don't know if you've noticed, but he doesn't exactly like these people."  
"Those people don't like him either." Jisu said. She turned to Hyun-Soo quickly. "Sorry. He's a nice person. Kinda..."  
"He's an asshole, but he's a decent asshole." Eun-Yu said, surprising Hyun-Soo. That was probably the nicest thing he'd ever heard her say about Eun-Hyuk.  
"He's not the warm and fuzzy type, but he's already done more for me than anyone else has in a long time." Hyun-Soo said. "I know the kind of person he is. If he was just an asshole, he wouldn't have gone after the dog."  
"He went after the dog, but not the girl." Jae-Heon said. "I suppose that does look strange to some."  
"He does feel guilty about that." Hyun-Soo said. "Well, not exactly guilty, I don't think he feels things like that, but there's some form of regret and guilt. The emotion's there, he's just different."  
"You don't have to explain him to me." Jisu said. "I'm pretty happy following his lead on things. He keeps us alive, and honestly, his quirks are probably what makes him such a good leader."  
"He sat through Bambi and didn't react at all." Eun-Yu said, making the group laugh. "Anyways, we should probably like, end the dog party before there's a religion formed around it. Not it." Eun-Yu said, walking away.  
"I'm gonna go check on Eun-Hyuk." Hyun-Soo said quickly, leaving the other two to decide who was going to have to be the buzzkill.  
"They would probably respond better to you." Jae-Heon said. "I should go help prepare food anyways."  
Jisu was caught completely off guard, fully expecting to dump it on him. "What? Hey! That's not very Christian of you!" Jae-Heon laughed as he walked back towards the kitchen, and Jisu found herself laughing too. 

"How goes the dog worshipping?" Eun-Hyuk asked once Hyun-Soo tracked him down.  
"You saw that?"  
"Mhm." Eun-Hyuk nodded. "You'd think that dog ran out there and came back with world peace."  
Hyun-Soo made his way over to Eun-Hyuk until the two were leaning together, shoulders touching. "They should appreciate you more."  
"It's fine." Eun-Hyuk said bluntly.  
Hyun-Soo laid his head on his shoulder. "You sure? Those things hurt. Having people talk about you like that."  
"It doesn't hurt." Eun-Hyuk said. "It's more...irritating. I risk everything for those people, and they can't muster up enough energy to move their asses and be useful."  
"So it's not fine."  
"What point are you even trying to make?" Eun-Hyuk said, nudging him slightly. "They can talk about me however they want. As long as they follow my instructions, they stay alive. If they don't, then they're not my problem."  
"The dog didn't follow your instructions. He was still your problem." Hyun-Soo said teasingly. Eun-Hyuk poked him in the ribs, making him yelp.  
"Enough about the damn dog. And had I known that it was going to run half way across the building and bite me, that furry nuisance would be on its own."  
"It's at least a little funny." Hyun-Soo said, cautiously snuggling back up to Eun-Hyuk, anticipating another poke.  
"I guess it is, at least a little. I guess it gave people something other than imminent death to talk about."  
"You're a very cheerful person." Hyun-Soo said, before quickly jerking away before he could be poked again.  
"Incredibly cheerful. I should do that as a career." Eun-Hyuk said, holding his hands up to show that he wasn't going to poke Hyun-Soo. Soon Hyun-Soo was leaning against him again.  
"I'd kill for your confidence."  
"That's concerning in this day and age." This time it was Hyun-Soo who poked Eun-Hyuk's side.  
"Not what I meant. You're so good at dealing with everything. I don't know what I'd do if I was in your position."  
"Die." Eun-Hyuk said bluntly. "No offense." he added.  
"Non taken." Hyun-Soo laughed. "You're amazing though, you know that right?"  
"You tell me five times a day. I could never forget." Eun-Hyuk said sarcastically, before turning serious. "Yes, I do. And I appreciate hearing it. I hope you know how amazing you are too. I know you don't believe me, but hopefully one day you'll be able to see yourself as I see you."  
"You seriously know me too well." Hyun-Soo mumbled, pressing his face into Eun-Hyuk's shoulder. Eun-Hyuk only shifted closer to him, stroking his hair.  
"I guess I do."

Unfortunately, the "era of the dog" seemed to be only beginning. Hyun-Soo noticed that wherever the dog went, it was usually followed by a crowd of fans. He was sure that this was some kind of coping strategy that was emerging, this was an extremely emotional time, of course people were on edge, but it was really starting to get out of hand.  
People had developed the habit of making dog toys out of whatever spare items they could find. They demanded that the dog get its own blanket, and a bigger portion of food at dinner. Eun-Hyuk had made it perfectly clear that he was fine if the dog got more food, it would just have to come via "generous donations" from the others, something he most certainly would not be participating in.  
Hyun-Soo, Jisu and a few others had been trying to treat Eun-Hyuk extra nicely, aware that his irritation was reaching a monumental height due to these new developments. However, as expected of them, he caught on almost instantly and told them to knock it off or he'd lock them outside of the building.  
The dog worshipers were seated in a circle as Hyun-Soo walked by, dragging a collection of various metal parts he'd managed to break off of various home installments. It had been tiring work, and he wasn't in the best mood already, but what he heard next made him stop cold.  
"Aww, look at him go! He's so cute!" Someone said.  
"He's like our little mascot now." someone else chimed in.  
"I sort of thought Hyun-Soo was our mascot." A third voice said. It was the sound of his name that had caused Hyun-Soo to stop in the first place.  
"What?"  
"I mean, I can kind of see it. The guy's like some kind of mutant attack dog."  
"I'd feel a lot safer if we kept him on a leash, you know?"  
"Yeah. Honestly, I kinda wish we kicked him out. Sure he's been useful, but he's a freak."  
"Mhm. He could still turn at any moment. I don't feel safe with him around."  
"I was thinking, maybe we should make some kind of a plan. You know, if something happens."  
"He can't be killed! How would that even work!"  
"I dunno, we can hurt him at least. Maybe take him down long enough to lock him up somewhere secure and leave him there. He can still starve like a normal person, right?"  
"Maybe we should wait until he's sleeping after coming back from a supply run. Why wait until he turns?"  
"True...But can it wait until after he grabs me a few more things? I sure as hell don't want to run and grab them myself."  
"Maybe he'll get killed out there. That would take care of everything."  
"Nah. He's too much of a monster. He doesn't belong here."  
Hyun-Soo forced himself to walk away, to not listen to any more. He could have stood there forever, taking it all in, slinking away from the classroom...Classroom? No this wasn't school. This was a whole different environment. This was a different place, things were different now. Things were better now...weren't they?  
Nausea swirled in Hyun-Soo's stomach, a feeling he hadn't felt for a long time at this point. Was he going to be sick? Faint? No, no he was being ridiculous, this was nothing like before. They had reason to want to hurt him, didn't they? This time it was justified...Was he justifying people wanting to hurt him?  
He had to get out of the hallway. That much was clear. He knew that if he was seen by any of them, he might break right there, and with his luck that would be mistaken for turning. He had to get out. Now.

Thankfully, the small band of others he actually trusted weren't hard to find. Jisu, Eun-Yu, Jae-Heon, Yuri-Park and Sang-Wook were watching Eun-Hyuk wave around what appeared to be one of the custom made dog toys.   
"If I trip over another one of these, I will burn them!" Eun-Hyuk exclaimed. "Seriously, if there was a fire, or a monster problem, we'd all be dead."  
"Mr. Mobster could probably scare them all." Eun-Yu offered.   
"Why do you still call me that?"  
"Easy. We have punk girl, preacher samurai, Mr. Mobster..." Eun-Yu paused at Yuri-Park. "I don't think I've ever actually talked to you, so give me a minute to come up with a nickname."  
Eun-Hyuk sighed, but made no attempts to stop his sister. "When you're done naming people, someone give me an idea how to handle this, no one listens to me any more unless it's an active emergency...Hyun-Soo, you're back. How was it?"  
Hyun-Soo had hardly realized he'd just been standing there, watching. God, he must have looked like such a freak! "Um..it was...well..."  
Eun-Hyuk looked him over. "What happened?"  
"N-nothing-"  
"Bullshit. Are you hurt? Did you run into something dangerous?" Before Hyun-Soo could say anything, Eun-Hyuk began examining him for injuries.   
"No I'm not hurt...It wasn't a monster..."  
"Do you want to sit down?" Jae-Heon said in his normal, quiet, sympathetic tone. Hyun-Soo nodded, slumping into a nearby chair.   
"What happened?" Eun-Hyuk repeated. "Was there anything dangerous?"  
"The most dangerous thing here right now is you." Eun-Yu muttered. Eun-Hyuk lightly bonked her on the head with the dog toy, and she shut up.   
"It's nothing, it's seriously nothing. I'm fine." Hyun-Soo said, finding his voice again. "Seriously, it's fine. I just overheard...nothing, never mind."  
"Overheard what!?" Eun-Hyuk exclaimed.   
"You're going to make him explode." Eun-Yu spoke up again, quieting when Eun-Hyuk sent her a look.   
"Sorry, am I making you more nervous? I promise I'm more calm now." Eun-Hyuk said.   
"No, it's really not you." Hyun-Soo said. "I don't know, I'm being overly sensitive. I just heard some people talking...I dunno...it's ok."  
"Talking about what?" Eun-Hyuk asked, tone more gentle now.   
"Me. I dunno...seriously it's dumb. Just reminded me of some stuff..."  
"What did they say?"  
"They called me a freak...ideas to kill me...that I don't belong here..." Hyun-Soo mumbled, voice barely audible.   
"That's not true, you do belong here." Jisu said, crossing her arms.   
"Did anyone else hear the part about murder?" Sang-Wook asked.   
"I did." Eun-Hyuk said. "And I'm going to have a little talk with everyone...but not right now. Come on." he said, tugging on Hyun-Soo's arm.   
"What?"  
"We're going somewhere."  
"...Why?"  
"Ok. You can sit in a chair and look sad."  
"Ok, ok." Hyun-Soo said, allowing himself to be pulled up and lead away from the group. 

"This feels sketchy." Hyun-Soo said as Eun-Hyuk lead up up the stairs and over debris.   
"Sketchy? Don't you trust me at all?" Eun-Hyuk laughed.   
"Only bad things happen when we go outside." Hyun-Soo said in an imitation of Eun-Hyuk.   
"Jeez, you don't let anything go, do you? Just bear with me for a little longer."  
To Hyun-Soo's surprise, he found himself standing on the roof. "Is this some kind of Romeo and Juliet thing?"  
"What?! No! God dammit Hyun-Soo, not everything is depressing."  
"You said it was last week." Hyun-Soo teased.   
"First of all, good, you're teasing me. You sound a little better. Second of all, stop teasing me! Don't quote me from when I was being dramatic." Eun-Hyuk said, rolling his eyes. "This is where I first saw you."  
"When I was thinking about jumping. Romantic." Hyun-Soo said in a deadpan.   
Eun-Hyuk shot him a look. "Let me finish. I go through life focusing on logic, not emotions. The last time I was near here, I was thinking about money, school, Eun-Yu falling off a building. Trivial things."  
"Mhm." Hyun-Soo nodded.   
"A lot has changed since then."  
Hyun-Soo eyed the distant figure of a monster scuttling over the ground. "No shit."  
"I didn't mean that part. That's true too though." Eun-Hyuk said. "What I'm trying to say is that you've changed me as a person. I don't think I've gotten this close to someone...ever."  
"Aw, really?"  
Eun-Hyuk nodded. "A monster couldn't drag me back from slowly destroying myself. Overworking, self isolation, those things might have gotten me in the end."  
"And now you're more likely to get killed by a monster."  
"Would you please let me finish!" Eun-Hyuk said, exasperated. That made Hyun-Soo smile, and he nodded. "You're more human than most of us. You've done so much for everyone, and anyone that doesn't see that is a fucking idiot. I'm pretty sure they were all fucking idiots to begin with, but anything they say against you is false. I know the kind of person you are. You're not a freak, you're not a monster, I trust you more than anything. And I love you." Eun-Hyuk said, looking away slightly, cheeks pinkening.   
"You still can't say that without blushing." Hyun-Soo said, gently poking Eun-Hyuk's cheek.   
"Like you can."  
"Touche."   
"It's not the same as it was back then." Eun-Hyuk said. "I won't let it be like your past. You have me, and I guess everyone here isn't terrible."  
"Aw, I thought you were making friends."  
"They're your friends. I'm just there." Eun-Hyuk said. "You have people that care about you now, and I'm not going to let anything happen to you, monsterization or not, got it?"  
"Got it." Hyun-Soo said. He felt like he was choking up.   
"It's ok." Eun-Hyuk said, pulling him closer. "Cry if you need to. It's ok."  
Hyun-Soo didn't know how long they stayed up there, but he was fairly certain that the roof was one of his favorite places on Earth now.

"Oh no." someone groaned as Eun-Hyuk stepped in front of the food supply.   
"Don't worry, you still get to eat. We just need to have a quick talk about something."  
Hyun-Soo had a feeling that Eun-Hyuk was wrong about no one listening to him any more. Everyone looked decently terrified.   
"This is gonna be fun." Eun-Yu said, grinning. "I love it when he's mad at someone other than me."  
"Look at all the things you have with you." Eun-Hyuk said slowly, eyeing everyone one by one. "Look at how safe you are. Look at how many of us are still alive. It's pretty great, right?"  
Everyone nodded slowly, waiting for the other shoe to drop.  
"So when I heard that some of you were planning to hurt the person you have to thank for all of that, well, I was pretty surprised." Eun-Hyuk said bluntly, not sounding surprised in the least. "Does anyone want to tell me why that thought even crossed your minds?"  
"Because he's infected-" Someone started.  
"We could all be infected." Eun-Hyuk said harshly. Others were infected after he was, and they turned. Does that mean nothing to all of you? What Hyun-Soo has done for us means nothing to you? I hear you all talking about how you feel like a community here, that we're all "bonded" or something. And you're telling me you're all self centered enough to hurt the person who's keeping you alive? There are monsters here, and Hyun-Soo isn't one of them."  
The point clearly hit home, and most of the crowd had the decency to look ashamed.  
"That's what I thought." Eun-Hyuk said quietly. "I can't force you to apologize, but I hope most of you can find the effort out of the goodness of your hearts."  
The crowd mumbled as he stepped away from the food.  
"Screw being a doctor, you should be a politician." Sang-Wook said approvingly.   
"You have the Mr. Mobster seal of approval."  
"Why do you call me that?!"  
"Thank you." Hyun-Soo said, leaning against Eun-Hyuk.   
"It's no problem. I was looking for an excuse to go off on them." Eun-Hyuk shrugged. "That's what they get for not being appreciative."  
"That reminds me." Hyun-Soo said, jumping up and running in front of the food.   
"You gotta be kidding me!" Someone yelled.   
"Sorry...but listen to me for just a second. Eun-Hyuk's kept you alive longer than I have. I wouldn't be able to do it alone. Yeah, he's a little cold-"  
"He's an asshole." Eun-Yu said helpfully.   
"-sometimes." Hyun-Soo finished. "But he does care about keeping you alive. So respect him." Hyun-Soo had never been good at public speaking. "Or I'll "accidentally" forget to close the barricade." that had the intended effect, and Hyun-Soo left the nervous others to the food.   
"You didn't have to do that." Eun-Hyuk said, failing to hide a smile.   
"Yeah I did. The only thing worse than hearing them insult me is hearing them insult you." Hyun-Soo said.   
"I would like to formally apologize for standing by and listening to them insult you. I'm very sorry." Jae-Heon said.  
"Would you stop shaming us with your goodness?" Jisu said, punching him in the arm.   
"...What was that for?"  
"No, that's an affection thing."  
"You're obviously not the weirdest one here, Hyun-Soo." Eun-Hyuk said. "But thank you. Maybe I lied. It was getting to me a little."  
"I think that problem's solved." Hyun-Soo said. "We should eat on the roof."  
"Is this some kind of Romeo and Juliet thing?"  
"You're the one that doesn't let things go!"   
"Maybe."  
"I'm getting diabetes from the sweetness again." Eun-Yu grumbled, walking off.  
"Hey, I don't think I said it back earlier, but I love you too." Hyun-Soo said, quiet enough for just Eun-Hyuk to hear.   
"Yeah, you better." Eun-Hyuk said sarcastically. "But if anything like this happens again, tell me. It's never going to be like before again. If anyone even gets close to mistreating you, they're going to be the bait for a random monster trap idea I had."  
"That's morbidly romantic."  
"Everything is in this day and age."  
"I kind of like it."  
"Good."  
"Thank you again though." Hyun-Soo said. "It's weird having someone who has my back."  
"Get used to it. I'm not going anywhere."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, this is an edit of the original end notes. So ya girl finished writing on Wednesday...but I didn't post it. I totally spaced it. So...asddffhg sorryyyyy XD  
> Anyways, I hope that this chapter makes up for it. Any requests or questions I didn't address in this chapter will be in the next one. I seriously can't believe I'm scatterbrained enough to blank on posting. Again, I'm so sorry XD  
> Anyways, thank you again for the kudos. One comment said something like "we love fanfiction here" and like, good, I'm glad! Idk, that comment made me smile. Honestly all of the comments make me smile, and sometimes I sit there reading them...  
> Anyways, I'm out for now. Hopefully I won't be an idiot and space posting again. Check out my twitter for updates about my posting schedule, it's kind of the only thing I use it for XD  
> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed, I seriously appreciate all of you, yes you person reading this! You are beautiful and amazing no matter what, and I hope you have an amazing day!

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, there we go. This was very self indulgent and most likely terrible, so sorry. If you read this far, thanks and I hope you enjoyed XD


End file.
